Universal’s “Wicked” is officially the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation in the history of the global box office, surpassing 2008’s “Mamma Mia” to achieve that consistent feat.
“Wicked” grossed $634 million worldwide after six weeks of release, while “Mamma Mia” collected $611 million (not adjusted for inflation) by its box office final. “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, has grossed $424 million domestically, and weeks ago, it surpassed 1978’s “Grease” ($188.62 million) as the biggest Broadway adaptation at the domestic box office. These benchmarks are good news for Universal since the second half of the big-budget musical, “Wicked: For Good,” opens in 2025. The record is also notable because it bucks the recent trend of stage-to-screen productions being brought back unseen, including That’s 2023’s “The Color Purple,” 2021’s “West Side Story,” 2020’s “Dear Evan Hansen” and “In the Heights.”
Meanwhile, Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” extended the franchise’s record with $74 million in its international box office debut, the biggest overseas opening in a family-friendly series. This number has been slightly inflated to include preview screenings. However, the three-day number is still higher than 2022’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” which launched with $33 million from overseas markets. The third “Sonic” film had the biggest start in the United Kingdom with $15.1 million, followed by Mexico with $10.3 million and France with $7.3 million. The film opens in 10 additional territories, including Korea, Brazil and Italy, next weekend. “Sonic 3” opened nine days ago in North America, where the animated adventure has grossed $137 million so far for a global total of $211 million.
The new movie “Nosferatu,” also on global screens, collected $3 million from just five markets. The R-rated gothic tale, directed by Robert Eggers and starring Bill Skarsgård as Count Orlok, will continue to be released overseas in the new year. At the domestic box office, “Nosferatu” grossed $21.1 million during the traditional weekend and $40.3 million during its first five days of release. Focus Features is releasing the film in North America while parent company Universal is handling overseas distribution.
Despite the newcomers, Disney’s “Mufasa” topped the global box office charts with $77.1 million from 52 physical territories. The “Lion King” prequel appears to be rebounding after a rocky start with ticket sales reaching $214 million internationally and $328 million worldwide so far.
Another Disney film, “Moana 2,” collected $36 million overseas over the weekend, bringing its international tally to $487.8 million. The animated adventure about a Polynesian wayfarer has grossed $882 million worldwide and is poised to cross the $900 million mark. “Moana” Part 2 adds to Disney’s impressive year, buoyed by the multi-billion-dollar box office successes of “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool & Wolverine.”