Wicked just passed this classic to become biggest musical adaptation ever

Wicked has taken over theatres and eclipsed a beloved peer to become the highest-grossing musical adaptation of all time.

There was never any question as to whether or not Jon M Chu’s theatrical adaptation of Wicked was going to be a success. Take an iconic stage musical with catchy numbers, mix in the allure of Ariana Grande and Jeff Goldblum, and throw in some dazzling visual effects and you’d be hard-pressed to fumble.

Our own four-star review of the film called it a “delight” and “possibly the cinematic event of the year”. Based on the current box office analysis, it looks like our speculation was pretty much on the money.

Initially reported by Deadline, Wicked has become the most successful adaptation of a stage musical in cinematic history. This latest musical from Universal eclipsed the studio’s own Mama Mia! Which previously held the distinction.

Wicked is now the biggest musical adaptation in history

That’s right, even the power of ABBA wasn’t enough to slow down this expansion of the Wizard of Oz’s classic tale. Wicked has reportedly grossed a total of $634.4 million following the holiday season.

The numbers are split between a domestic gross in the US of $424.2 million and a contribution from international markets of $210.2 million. Mama Mia! which was the most successful musical adaptation ever, until Wicked came along, grossed a total of $611.4 million worldwide.

Wicked’s earnings have more than made up for the film’s $145 million budget and its success will likely continue as the movie comes to streaming platforms. It’s not the final chance that Director Jon M Chu has to cement one of his adaptations as the highest-grossing musical adaptation on film either.

It’s more accurate to refer to the film as Wicked Part 1 as during production, the decision was made to split the story across two movies. Given the success of this first half of the tale, and the potential to create more fanatics as it becomes more widely available, it’s very possible that we could see Wicked Part 2 outshine its predecessor.