Universal’s “Wicked: For Good” is off to a brisk start overseas, adding fresh evidence that the studio’s two-part adaptation has real staying power at the multiplex. International grosses reached about $14.9 million through the film’s first two days of play in 59 markets, figures first reported by Deadline. Early foreign receipts were led by Australia, South Korea and Germany, with solid openings in Brazil and Mexico, plus double-bill preview sessions in the U.K. and Ireland that paired the new film with last year’s hit.
The early international run pairs with a major North American surge. The film collected $30.8 million in U.S. previews across Monday, Wednesday and Thursday showings, the best preview haul of 2025 so far, putting it on track for a domestic opening in the $150 million to $180 million range. Several tracking services have projected a worldwide debut above $200 million if holiday attendance holds, which would top the first film’s $164 million global start from November 2024.
“Wicked: For Good,” directed by Jon M. Chu and starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, continues Elphaba and Glinda’s story into the stage show’s second act, adding new songs and expanded Oz politics. Tickets went on sale in early October and quickly became the biggest first-day preseller of 2025 on major U.S. platforms, a signal of demand months ahead of launch.
That demand has been building since the first “Wicked” finished its theatrical run at roughly $756 million worldwide, the top global total ever for a Broadway musical adaptation, boosted by repeat viewings and premium-format play. Universal has again leaned into an event rollout, with large-screen and immersive formats across territories and a string of high-profile premieres in São Paulo, Paris, London, Singapore and New York ahead of the wide opening.
Grande’s press schedule was trimmed this week after she tested positive for COVID-19, but the promotional push has continued through fan events and talk-show spots as the film heads into the Thanksgiving corridor.
