'Wicked: For Good' Soars to Second Biggest US Box Office Opening Weekend in 2025 Next to 'Minecraft'

Wicked: For Good's initial domestic earnings surpassed the first film in the two-part musical adaptation, which made £85.9 million ($112.5 million) last year.

The strong debut injected much-needed enthusiasm into cinemas amid a particularly lustreless November, a month that had been marked by underperforming releases and waning audience turnout.

The sequel also delivered a more impressive global performance than the original, grossing £172.5 million ($226 million) as it launched its worldwide run.

For the franchise, the results signal not only heightened fan anticipation but also the growing international appeal of contemporary musical blockbusters.

As expected, the second Jon Chu-directed fantasy musical delivered a truly record-breaking performance. Chu, who has become synonymous with glossy, high-energy cinematic spectacles, has once again demonstrated his ability to translate large-scale Broadway productions into global box office triumphs.

Industry watchers had predicted strong numbers, but the final tallies exceeded even the most optimistic forecasts from Universal Pictures.

Second Only to A Minecraft Movie

For Good's US debut is now officially the second-biggest among all films released in 2025. The only title ahead of it is Warner Bros' A Minecraft Movie, which remains the year's top domestic opener after raking in £124.2 million ($162.7 million) in April.

Minecraft itself is a visual-effects-heavy live-action adaptation of the mammoth children's video game franchise, led by Jason Momoa and Jack Black. The film was a global smash, earning a staggering £731.5 million ($957.9 million) worldwide, setting the tone early in the year for major family-friendly franchises dominating the box office.

That For Good has come within range of such a juggernaut underscores the enduring power of the Wicked brand and the widespread public curiosity surrounding the conclusion of the two-part story.

Third on the list of the year's biggest domestic debuts is Disney's Lilo & Stitch, another live-action re-imagining of a beloved early-2000s classic. It opened with £111.5 million ($146 million) during the long Memorial Day weekend, confirming Hollywood's continued reliance on nostalgic animated properties to draw crowds.

For Good Went Big

For Good embodies the definition of a modern blockbuster, propelled by the star power of its lead actors, the cultural pull of the Wicked franchise, and a promotional campaign that saturated global markets.

Among its milestones are Ariana Grande's and Cynthia Erivo's biggest global and domestic opening weekends of their acting careers—an achievement that cements both performers as bona fide cinematic headliners.

Grande's role as Glinda marks her first leading role in a feature film. Previously, she was cast only in supporting roles or cameos in films such as Don't Look Up and Zoolander 2, making her breakout performance in the Wicked franchise a significant step forward in her transition from global pop superstar to credible film actress.

Erivo, meanwhile, has cultivated a strong reputation through acclaimed performances on both stage and screen, but none matched the scale and visibility of the Wicked films. She received a Best Actress Oscar nomination in 2020 for her turn in Harriet, and earlier appeared in Widows and Bad Times at the El Royale—yet For Good has undoubtedly become her most commercially successful project to date.

The film also marks Jon Chu's biggest domestic and global opening ever. Before the Wicked duology, Chu was best known for directing the box office hit Crazy Rich Asians and the sci-fi sequel Now You See Me 2. With For Good, he has reinforced his reputation as one of Hollywood's most reliable blockbuster directors.

Among its other achievements, For Good set the Biggest Global and Domestic Opening for a Movie Based on a Broadway Show and the Biggest November Domestic Opening Ever for a Movie Musical.

The Rest of For Good's Opening Weekend Records

The sequel reached the upper tier of several industry rankings, including the Second-Biggest Domestic Opening for Universal of All Time, behind the 2015 phenomenon Jurassic World. It also became the Third-Highest Domestic Opening Weekend for a Movie Musical of All Time, trailing only 2019's The Lion King and 2017's Beauty and the Beast.

Globally, For Good secured the Fifth-Highest Opening Weekend for a Musical, behind an all-Disney line-up of The Lion King, Moana 2, Frozen II, and Beauty and the Beast.

The film also delivered massive commercial synergy, achieving the Second-Largest Global Promotional Partner Campaign Ever for a Hollywood studio at £252 million ($330 million) with 400 partners—just behind the first Wicked film, which generated £267.2 million ($350 million) in media value.