Amid its dominant run, Wicked just crossed a major milestone at the box office. Inspired by the Broadway musical, the movie stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp alongside Ariana Grande’s Galinda Upland. It debuted to exceptional reviews and featured a runtime that was the same length as the original play, though it featured only half of the musical’s story. A sequel, the upcoming Wicked: For Good, is set to be released on November 21, 2025, and is poised to see immense success.
According to a report by Deadline, the blockbuster musical just became the highest-grossing stage musical adaptation of all time, with a global estimate of $634.4 million through the weekend. It surpassed Mamma Mia!’s $611 million total for the title. Wicked’s total comes from a split that featured $424 million at the domestic box office and $210 million internationally. Mamma Mia!, by contrast, secured $144 million domestically and $467 million overseas.
This milestone is particularly impressive considering that it comes before inflation. If inflation were to be taken into account, Wicked would need to have reached an even more sizable sum, with Mamma Mia! earning $913 million in today’s money, far outpacing Wicked’s total. It stands to prove what a remarkable phenomenon the 2008 musical was, especially considering that Wicked has been dominating the box office since its release.
The Wicked musical was based on Gregory Maguire’s Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. As the holiday season continues, the production is likely to continue to build on its take, though it is unlikely to pass Mamma Mia!’s take after inflation. Despite the risks involved with its $150 million budget, passing Mamma Mia!’s take is something that no Broadway adaptation has ever managed to do, including 2012’s Les Misérables.
While the movie debuted at a struggling box office, which has yet to fully recover from pandemic-induced woes, it is likely that Wicked would have done even better if it had premiered before 2020. It has also been facing serious competition from other musicals, including Mufasa and Moana 2. In a different window, it could have thrived as the sole musical for audiences to enjoy. Timing simply got in Wicked’s way.