Movie Story: “Wicked” Part 2 Opens Record at North American Box Office

Universal's two-part "gamble" with the "Wicked" series continues to pay off, as part 2, titled "Wicked: For Good," attracted a large audience during its opening weekend.

According to studio estimates, the film grossed $150 million in North America alone and $226 million worldwide, surpassing the first part's $112 million opening and becoming the highest-grossing Broadway musical adaptation ever.

It was also the second-biggest opening of the year, behind only “A Minecraft Movie” ($162 million). According to Universal and Comscore, “Wicked: For Good” had the third-biggest opening for a musical, behind only Disney’s “The Lion King” (2019) and “Beauty and the Beast” (2017).

This success also helped the North American box office escape a streak of 9 gloomy weeks, when market revenue continuously did not exceed 100 million USD/week.

The story in “Wicked: For Good” continues as Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) are drawn into two opposite paths after the events in Emerald City.

Elphaba is considered by the whole of Oz as the “wicked witch”, while Glinda is honored as a symbol of goodness and order. The appearance of Dorothy – a girl from Kansas – changes the situation in Oz, inadvertently bringing long-standing conspiracies and secrets to light.

To face their fate and that of Oz, Elphaba and Glinda are forced to confront each other one last time, rediscovering the understanding that once bound them together.

Still, musical adaptations aren’t always successful. Modest box office hits like “Dear Evan Hansen” (2016) and “In the Heights” (2021) are still outnumbered by hits like “Mamma Mia!” (2008).

The risky nature of the genre has led many experts to question the decision to split “Wicked” into two films. However, industry insiders say Wicked’s enduring appeal on Broadway, director Jon Chu’s bold casting choices, and a strong marketing campaign have contributed to its success. “Wicked touches something very unique, especially with young audiences,” said Paul Dergarabedian of Comscore.

Critical response has been mixed. The New Yorker's Justin Chang said parts of the film "feel like an endless version of Oz," while the film earned an A CinemaScore and a 95% "fresh tomato" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Some experts say that the film's good performance in Salt Lake City (Utah, USA) is a sign of its appeal to family audiences.

In a context where the North American box office has just gone through a period of stagnation – October revenue fell to its lowest level in nearly 3 decades and many theater chains continuously reported losses – the success of “Wicked: For Good” , with an opening of 150 million USD, is considered a rare bright spot.

Coming in at No. 2 this week is the latest installment of the fantasy-crime series “Now You See Me: Now You Don't,” with $9.1 million, a modest haul in its second weekend.

Coming in third was the action- sci-fi film “Predator: Badlands,” a Predator-branded film, with $6.3 million. “Predator: Badlands” offers a fresh take on the nearly 40-year-old franchise, set on a distant planet where a young outcast Predator (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) teams up with a robotics researcher played by Elle Fanning in a quest for honor and identity.

The next positions in the top 10 include:

4. The Running Man – 5.8 million USD

5. Rental Family - $3.3 million

6. Sisu: Road to Revenge – $2.6 million

7. Regretting You – $1.5 million

8. Nuremberg – 1.2 million USD

9. Black Phone 2 - 1 million USD

10. Sarah's Oil – 711,542 USD./.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/cau-chuyen-dien-anh-phan-2-wicked-mo-man-ky-luc-tai-phong-ve-bac-my-post1078890.vnp