Wicked: For Good Hits $30.8 Million Ahead of Opening Night
According to CinemaDrame News Agency, Universal’s musical Wicked: For Good reached $30.8 million in North American preview sales from Monday through Thursday, making it the highest-grossing film of 2025 so far in terms of opening-night previews. Previously, Fantastic Four: First Steps held the record with $24.4 million.
On Thursday alone, Wicked: For Good grossed $18.2 million across 3,350 theaters. Its overall preview total surpasses that of Barbie, which earned $22.3 million in previews. Barbie opened to $168 million in its first week, with women making up 68% of its audience.
Universal is hoping that Wicked: For Good will open to $120 million domestically and over $200 million worldwide. Early audience surveys place the sequel at a 92% PostTrak rating, with 82% of ticket buyers recommending it. Fandango previously reported that the film had broken the advance ticket–sales record for a PG-rated family release.
Wicked: For Good arrives at a time when theaters are hungry for a major box-office hit; data shows that year-to-date revenue has slightly declined compared to the same period last year. In the same frame last year, Gladiator II, released alongside the first Wicked, earned $55 million. The first Wicked received an A CinemaScore and grossed $474.4 million domestically—4.2 times its opening weekend. The film ultimately surpassed $758 million worldwide and earned 10 Oscar nominations.
The sequel currently holds a 74% Rotten Tomatoes score, compared with 88% for the original. Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum star in the film, directed by Jon M. Chu.
This week, Sisu: Road to Revenge opens in roughly 2,000 theaters. Despite a 96% Rotten Tomatoes rating, it grossed $575,000 on its first night. The first Sisu (2022) opened to $3.3 million over its first three days across 1,006 theaters and eventually reached $7.2 million.
Searchlight’s Rental Family, starring Brendan Fraser, will also debut this week in 1,925 North American theaters. The film screened at the Tokyo and Toronto festivals and holds a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score.
