Wicked: For Good Box Office Craters as Sequel Now Projected to Finish Far Below the Original

Ticket sales for Wicked: For Good plummeted this weekend, falling by a dramatic 72.9% after a strong start.

Although the movie had a huge opening weekend and a lot of hype, recent industry predictions suggest it will likely finish with a worldwide total of only $540–590 million, according to FilmUpdates.

‘WICKED: FOR GOOD’ is now eyeing a $540–590M run at the worldwide box office.

It cost $150M to produce.

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) December 7, 2025

This figure is hundreds of millions of dollars less than the worldwide total of the 2024 film Wicked, which earned over $758.7 million.

Considering this movie was predicted to potentially earn over a billion dollars, its current situation is truly surprising.

A Record Opening Followed by a Record Drop

The numbers tell the story clearly — and brutally.

With a huge opening weekend of $147 million in the US and $223 million globally – the biggest ever for a movie based on a Broadway show – Wicked: For Good seemed destined for success. However, that initial excitement quickly faded.

Thanksgiving weekend drop: 58% (unusually steep for the holiday corridor)
Third weekend drop: a catastrophic 74.7%, per Deadline and Box Office Mojo
Domestic weekend #3 total: roughly $15.6M–$16.7M
Domestic cumulative total: $296M, verified via Box Office Mojo

Currently, ticket sales for Wicked: For Good are significantly lower than even the most cautious predictions.

Global Performance Fails to Pick Up the Slack

International markets were supposed to soften the domestic blows — they didn’t.

Currently, the movie has earned around $440 million worldwide. Like the first film, most of the earnings are coming from the United States. However, this reliance on the US market is becoming a concern, as domestic audiences are rapidly declining.

As profits decrease globally, reaching the $600 million target is becoming less and less probable.

How Did a Sequel This Big Fall This Fast?

Several factors are becoming clear:

1. Frontloaded demand

The movie had a great opening weekend with lots of fans, but attendance dropped off quickly after that. Despite positive reviews – a 93% audience score and an ‘A’ grade from CinemaScore – the initial excitement didn’t last, and people stopped going to see it.

The movie’s more serious and gloomy atmosphere likely contributed to this as well. The first film was something families could watch again and again, but the sequel’s darker mood doesn’t make people want to see it in theaters multiple times.

2. Mixed reviews compared to the original

Although the movie is still considered good, it hasn’t generated the same excitement as Wicked (2024), and people aren’t rushing back to see it as much.

3. Direct competition from Zootopia 2 & FNAF 2

Disney’s latest animated movie is still a huge hit with families, especially during a time of year when musical films typically do well.

Universal’s Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 had a strong opening weekend at the box office.

4. Poor third-weekend resiliency

A –74.7% crash would be devastating for any film — for a holiday tentpole, it’s unprecedented.

5. A disastrous press tour

The movie’s publicity tour actually hurt its chances. Instead of building excitement, it quickly became infamous online. Interviews with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande sparked a lot of negative reactions on platforms like TikTok and X, with viewers pointing out awkward moments, strange emotional shifts, and comments they found unsettling.

These incidents didn’t excite fans; instead, they completely took over the discussion, drawing attention away from the movie itself. Some entertainment critics believe the awkward interviews even put off potential viewers who were hesitant about the sequel’s darker themes.

As a fan, I’m really worried about how this movie’s doing. With so much money on the line, and relying on people actually wanting to see it, all the negative attention from the press tour is a serious problem. It’s supposed to build excitement, but instead, the cast keeps giving critics and online commentators exactly what they need to spread negativity. It feels like it’s actually turning people off from wanting to go to the theater, and that could really hurt the film’s performance.

It’ll Still Make Money — But It Isn’t the Win Universal Wanted

Even though Wicked: For Good cost around $150 million to make (not including advertising), and needs to earn about $375 million to cover its costs, it’s not considered a financial failure. It’s expected to show a profit, at least on paper.

Universal didn’t promote this movie as just a successful musical. Instead, they presented it as a massive, worldwide event – the first part of a huge two-movie musical series predicted to be the biggest hit during the holiday season for two years in a row.

Now, the studio is facing a sequel that seems to be struggling with audiences, isn’t performing well over time, and is projected to earn between $170 and $220 million less than the original movie.

Everything feels different now, and it’s making me wonder what Universal is hoping for with a possible Wicked 3. It’s like the whole story has shifted, and their plans might need to change too.

A Franchise at a Crossroads

The biggest surprise about the disappointing box office performance of Wicked: For Good is how rapidly expectations changed. What was expected to be a billion-dollar success is now struggling to reach $550 million.

Unless something unexpected happens, like a boost during the holidays or a lot of international interest, the new movie won’t be a total failure, but it will significantly underperform compared to what was expected – essentially, it will show the franchise isn’t as strong as people thought.

Universal is now facing a key question: Was the initial excitement for the two-part Wicked film as genuine and lasting as it first appeared, or was it a temporary surge of interest that quickly faded?

The Wicked: For Good box office is no longer defying gravity. It’s falling — fast.

2025-12-08 18:00