Wicked Sequel Drops an Astonishing 73% in Third Weekend Box Office, Signaling More Oz May Be Off the Table

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While “Wicked: For Good” had a solid start at the box office, its performance isn’t as strong when compared to the huge success of the original “Wicked” film released earlier this year.

The first movie earned about $475 million in the US and $759 million globally, making it a huge hit and one of the highest-grossing musicals ever. The second film, released in 2025, has made around $297 million domestically and $440 million worldwide as of early December. While the new movie is doing well, it’s not performing quite as strongly as the first one did at this point in its release.

“Wicked: For Good” is struggling in theaters, as evidenced by a massive 73% drop in ticket sales during its third weekend. While the new horror film “Five Nights at Freddy’s” may have impacted numbers, the two movies appeal to very different audiences. It seems the latter half of “Wicked” isn’t resonating well with viewers.

The sequel initially performed very well, opening with $147 million domestically – significantly higher than the original film’s $112.5 million debut. Each of its first three days in theaters earned more than the original film, thanks to huge excitement and record-breaking pre-ticket sales. For the first few days, “Wicked: For Good” was performing much better than the first movie, leading many to believe it would ultimately earn more overall. However, that strong start proved to be its peak, and the movie’s momentum quickly slowed down after the opening weekend.

Starting on its first Monday, “Wicked: For Good” began to earn less money each day compared to the original “Wicked” film. Initially, the sequel trailed by a small percentage, but that gap quickly grew to double digits. After its first week, “Wicked: For Good” was earning about 24% less than the first “Wicked” had at the same point. The second weekend saw this decline speed up – the original movie made over $81 million, while the sequel earned around $62 million, a decrease of nearly 25%. By the third weekend, the difference was even larger: “Wicked” earned about $36 million, while “Wicked: For Good” earned only around $17 million. Towards the end of the third week, daily earnings were often 50% to 60% lower than those of the first film.

The film’s sharper decline in daily ticket sales is due to a few factors. The sequel generated a lot of excitement, leading many fans to see it immediately upon release. This rush of initial interest meant most viewers went to the earliest showings, instead of spreading out over the entire holiday period, which is how the first movie performed.

The first “Wicked” movie was better received by critics, earning high ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. The new film, “Wicked: For Good,” launched with a significantly lower score. While fans are still excited, weaker reviews often discourage people from seeing a movie multiple times – a key factor in the original’s long-term success. This sequel also faces more competition, releasing at the same time as popular films like “Zootopia 2” and “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2,” which are attracting many families and teenagers. However, the original “Wicked” successfully competed with “Moana 2,” suggesting that competition isn’t the sole reason for any potential differences in performance.

Currently, “Wicked: For Good” faces a significant challenge to reach a $600 million box office total. This means studio executives are likely starting to worry that unusual aspects of the film – like the widely discussed scene with tears falling like rain – might be affecting ticket sales, despite positive press coverage featuring stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.

ariana trying to console cynthia while theres a helicopter flying over them

— ariana grande gifs (@vodolove) November 22, 2024

Despite a strong start and generally good performance, “Wicked: For Good” isn’t performing as well as the 2024 film overall. While the sequel initially led in ticket sales, that advantage quickly disappeared. By the 17th day of release, it was about 8% behind the original film in total earnings and wasn’t maintaining the same level of weekend-to-weekend success. Although it’s still a significant hit and a win for musicals, its weaker daily performance suggests it won’t reach the same high box office total as the first film.

Look, I still love the world of Oz, it’s truly magical. But honestly, the latest movie just didn’t have the same spark as the first one. It felt like it was just…going through the motions. And that worries me – it makes me think we might not be seeing many more adventures in Oz, which would be a real shame.

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2025-12-09 14:56