Already celebrating an impressive collection of 10 Oscar nominations, Wicked has reached another international box office milestone. Based on the smash hit stage musical and 1995 book of the same name, Wicked adapts the first act of the musical, which follows the rivalry and then friendship between Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande). The musical was a success critically and commercially and has proved its potential during awards season, recently earning Oscar nominations in major categories, including Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress.
Per The Numbers, Wicked has now passed a film from the beloved Twilight franchise on the highest-grossing chart for fantasy films. With $710 million earned at the global box office, Wicked has officially passed The Twilight Saga: Eclipse at the box office, securing it on the list of the 25 highest-grossing fantasy films of all time. This achievement also meant that it passed two other flicks from the Twilight series, including New Moon and Breaking Dawn: Part 1, which sit at numbers 27 and 28, respectively.
What This Means For Wicked
Wicked Continues Its Box Office Success
While this may seem like a blow for Twilight fans, Breaking Dawn: Part 2 still sits comfortably at the list’s 19th spot. That aside, it’s possible Wicked fans, amidst their 10 Oscar nominations, might be feeling slightly disappointed as the film’s director, Jon M. Chu, was left out of this year’s nominees, with Emilia Pérez’s Jacques Audiard sliding into the list of nominees instead. This continued the trend of Chu being excluded from the nominations for several major award ceremonies, including the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs, with Chu only earning a nomination for direction from the Critics’ Choice Awards.
This box office milestone should be a friendly reminder to not be too caught up in accolades, as Wicked has proved to be a massive success for its cast and crew.
This box office milestone should be a friendly reminder to not be too caught up in accolades, as Wicked has proved to be a massive success for its cast and crew. By earning an already impressive number of nominations, a Golden Globe for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, and stellar reviews from critics and moviegoers, the film has proved that it could be of cinematic and cultural significance, which is further proved by its still-growing box office numbers. Most importantly, Wicked has set a solid foundation of success for its sequel, this year’s Wicked: For Good.
Our Take On Wicked’s Newest Box Office Milestone
Fans Should Rejoice At Wicked’s Undoubtable Success
With its double-digit sum of Oscar nominations, especially as a Best Picture nominee, I’m expecting to see more moviegoers consider adding Wicked to their watchlist, boosting its box office numbers even more. While I don’t see it joining the coveted club of earning $1 billion this late into its theatrical run, it could at least climb one more spot up the list of highest-grossing fantasy films, beating 2005’s The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Overall, fans of Wicked should look at the significant success already achieved by the musical, rest easy on their laurels, and look forward to its sequel.
Source: The Numbers

Wicked
- Release Date
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November 22, 2024
- Runtime
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160 Minutes
- Director
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Jon M. Chu
- Writers
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Gregory Maguire
, Winnie Holzman
, Dana Fox
, L. Frank Baum