'Wicked: Part One' has soared to new heights, officially becoming the highest-grossing film based on a Broadway musical at the US box office.
The Jon M. Chu-directed adaptation, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, hit the milestone during a record-breaking Thanksgiving weekend. By the close of its second weekend, 'Wicked' amassed an estimated $214.3 million domestically, states a report on Deadline. This has pushed the film past the lifetime gross of the iconic 1978 musical 'Grease'.
The projections indicate that by Sunday, the film will reach nearly $263 million domestically.
Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, 'Wicked' scored an estimated $118 million from Wednesday to Sunday. It ranks as the third on the list of highest Thanksgiving box office collections. It stands only behind 'Moana 2' which earned an estimated $215 million-$220 million and 'Frozen 2' which amassed $125 million. On Black Friday, Wicked also recorded the third-highest single-day earnings for the holiday, with $34.1 million, trailing behind 'Moana 2' which earned $54.5 million.
Meanwhile, at the global box office, 'Wicked' is expected to hit $358 million by Sunday. This places it as the fourth-highest-grossing movie based on a Broadway musical, trailing 'Mamma Mia!' ($611.2 million), 'Les Miserables' ($442.7 million), and 'Grease' ($396.2 million).
Despite its impressive run, 'Wicked' has yet to crack the top five live-action musicals at the domestic box office. The list remains dominated by 'Barbie' which earned $636.2 million and Disney’s live-action remakes of 'The Lion King' which earned $543.6 million, 'Beauty and the Beast' collection of $504.4 million, 'The Jungle Book's $364 million haul, and 'Aladdin' which earned $355.5 million.
