Wicked Becomes Highest-Grossing Movie Musical Ever

The new film adaptation of Wicked has grossed $634.4 million at the box office since its theatrical release on November 22. $424.2 million of that is from the American market, while  $210.2 million was earned in foreign markets, according to reporting in Deadline. That makes the Universal Pictures production the highest-grossing movie musical of all time, surpassing the studio’s 2008 adaptation of Mamma Mia!, which had been the reigning title-holder with $611.4 million in global receipts.

Based on Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s stage musical (which is itself based on Gregory Maguire’s novel), Wicked is about Galinda (better known as the Good Witch of the North) and Elphaba (better known as the Wicked Witch of the West) and their formative years at Shiz University. Click here to see the movie’s stars, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, speak with TheaterMania.

Jon M. Chu directed the movie, which expands upon Holzman’s book to include more elements from the novel and which has been divided into two parts (the second part is slated to be released on November 21, 2025).

TheaterMania critic David Gordon has high praise for Nathan Crowley’s lavish production design, which “immerses us within the Emerald City in a way that almost feels like going to a theme park, an excellent example of the increasingly disappearing art of tactile world-building for cinema.” You can read that full review here.

While Wicked continues to be shown in theaters, it was released for streaming today, allowing audiences to view the blockbuster (and sing along) from the comfort of their own living rooms.