'Wicked' Eyes $100 Million USD Domestic Box Office Debut
‘Gladiator II’ is projected to follow behind the Jon M. Chu-directed pic with $65 million USD.
There are only a few more sleeps until Wicked enchants theaters across the globe this Friday, and the Jon M. Chu-directed pic is on track to break some box office records in its opening weekend.
The Broadway adaptation, starring Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, is expected to make a massive $100 million USD to $110 million USD at 3,880 North American theaters this weekend, according to Variety.
Analysts originally forecasted that the film would make $80 million USD to $85 million USD during the period, but the projections have since risen thanks to the PG-rated movie’s omnipresent nature, successful marketing campaign and more than 400 brand partnerships. Per the outlet, some independent tracking services estimate that Wicked could even make up to $130 million USD in its debut weekend.
Either way, the film is on track to claim the best opening weekend for a Broadway-adapted movie, a title that presently belongs to Into the Woods, which made $31 million USD in its opening weekend in 2014.
Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II is also hitting theaters this weekend, and the R-rated sequel to 2000’s Gladiator is expected to follow behind Wicked with $65 million USD from 3,500 theaters in the US. Notably, the film has already earned $87 million USD from 63 markets abroad.
