Sources tell us that Universal’s Wicked: For Good Thursday night is coming in around $20M-$22M, and when you fold in Amazon sneaks and Wednesday premium fan shows, that figure is substantially higher.
Again, these are industry estimates as we always say, take them with a grain of salt until Universal officially reports in the AM. Previews on Thursday began at 2PM.
Best previews for the year so far goes to Disney/Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four: First Steps which did $24.4M. That was completely made from Thursday shows that began at 2 PM.
Wicked‘s total previews a year ago were $19.2M. Broken out that was $11M from 2PM Thursday showtimes, $2.5M from Monday previews and $5.7M from Wednesday fan showtimes. Those previews repped 42% of Wicked‘s first day Friday of $46.2M which wove a spell for a $112.5M opening, the best ever for a movie based on a Broadway musical. Despite the notion that some are projecting a $175M+ weekend for Wicked: For Good, word to the wise is that the sequel could be frontloaded just like the last film which skewed 72% female with 57% between 18-34 in Screen Engine/Comscore PostTrak exits. The more sober projection for the stateside start of the Jon M. Chu directed sequel is between $125M-$150M. The word is out already among the fans that Wicked: For Good is slightly better (or about the same) as Wicked with a Rotten Tomatoes Audience score that’s 97% to last year’s 95%.
Wicked: For Good is bound to make most of its bank stateside just like the last one which saw 63% of its $758.4M global gross coming from U.S./Canada. The forecasted worldwide start for part two is well north of $200M+.
What’s obviously expected for Wicked: For Good is that it’s going to break a whole other round of opening records.
