Evil it reintroduced the world of Oz to audiences and became a huge box office success. THE Evil The film is based on the critically acclaimed Broadway musical of the same name, as well as the 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. The story of Evil follows the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, who will later become known as the Wicked Witch of the West, and Galinda, who will become Glinda the Good Witch.
In EvilElphaba and Glinda are portrayed by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-Butera. In addition to Erivo and Grande-Butera, the cast of Evil includes Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum. Reviews for Evil were very positive upon its release. The film has a 90% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and an impressive 97% audience score. Along with its positive critical reception Evil also performed very well at the box office.
Wicked’s total box office (so far)
Wicked is a huge box office success
At the time of writing, Evil it grossed a total of US$164 million at the worldwide box office. This is an extremely strong start to the prequel to The Wizard of Oz and suggests that Evil It will easily be a profitable venture for Universal. A recent report revealed that the combined budget of both Evil The films set a record for the most money Universal has ever invested upfront in a film project. Allegedly, the budget of the first Evil film was between US$ 145-150 million, which means the film has already exceeded its cost.
It is possible that Evil It could make close to $1 billion at the box office, perhaps even more. EvilThe box office haul so far is very impressive for the film, especially since some musicals haven’t been as successful with theatrical releases. Recent musicals like Cats and Dear Evan Hansen struggled to find an audience, but Evil the success proves that fans are eager to return to the Oz setting. THE Evil The play has also been enjoyed for years around the world, and now the film version of the story is receiving the same kind of acclaim.
Wicked opening weekend box office
Wicked had one of the biggest box office opening weekends of 2024
Evil It broke several records with its huge opening weekend, grossing just under $164.2 million. During its early days in theaters Evil It grossed US$114 million at the domestic box office and more than US$50 million at the international box office. With this release, Evil became the highest-grossing global debut of a Broadway adaptationEasily surpassing that of 2012 Les Misérables. Les Misérables grossed $103 million in its opening weekend, so Evil grossed $60 million more than the iconic Broadway adaptation.
Evilof The domestic box office opening weekend was the fourth highest ever for a musical film, second only to 2019 The Lion King2017 Beauty and the beastand 2019 Frozen II. EvilThe international success of was the fifth biggest opening weekend for a musical film, surpassed only by these same three films, along with 2019 Aladdin. Compared to other 2024 films, Evil had the third most profitable opening weekend of the year. The only two films that surpassed Evilof box office in its opening weekends in 2024 were Deadpool and Wolverine and Inside Out 2.
How Wicked’s box office compares to The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz was also a box office success
The 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz It was a flop when it was released, grossing just $3 million on a $2.7 million budget. However, for your lifetime gross value, The Wizard of Oz earned more than $25 million. Adjusted for inflation, The Wizard of Oz grossed close to US$570 million at the worldwide box office. However, The Wizard of Oz it made most of its money at the domestic box office, not even earning $1 million in international markets. Therefore, Evil has an advantage over the 1939 film, as The Wizard of Oz It is now known as a popular franchise across the world.
Given Evilearnings from the national and international opening weekend, the film is likely to surpass The Wizard of Ozearnings. THE Wizard of Oz it also received much critical praise upon its release and was nominated for Best Picture and several other Academy Awards. Following Evilof commercial and critical success, it seems that the film could continue in The Wizard of Ozfollow in the footsteps of and continue to generate more awards season buzz, which will only lead to more people seeing the film in theaters.
What Wicked’s box office means for Wicked Part Two
Wicked Part Two is less than a year away
Wicked Part One and Two were shot consecutively. Therefore, Wicked Part Two has a release date of November 21, 2025, just one year after the first film. This is good news for fans, as they won’t have to wait long to see Elphaba and Glinda’s story continue after the end of Evil. Based on the performance of the first Evil film, It’s safe to say that Wicked Part Two will achieve a similar, if not even bigger opening weekend
After the release of Wicked Part Two, The Wizard of Oz the franchise will likely be the most popular of all time.
Over the next year, expectations will only increase for the Evil sequel, rather than disappearing, so that even more fans can go to the cinema to see Wicked Part Two. In addition to its success in cinemas, Evil it will no doubt be popular on streaming services and could even be nominated for several major awards. Therefore, when releasing Wicked Part Two, The Wizard of Oz the franchise will likely be the most popular of all time. What if the ratings for the second half are as strong as they were for Evilthe film is guaranteed to be another huge success.
Source: Variety, Mojo Box Office