\n\tThe Witches of Oz are making magic at the box office.<\/p>\n
\n\tUniversal\u2019s Thanksgiving tentpole\u00a0Wicked: For Good<\/a>\u00a0is now on course to open to a record-smashing $151 million-plus in North America and $228 million worldwide after topping Friday\u2019s North American chart with a massive $68.7 million from 4,115 theaters (that number includes $30.8 million in previews<\/a>). Audiences are more than embracing the pic<\/a>, giving it an A Cinemascore and a glowing 96 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tWicked: For Good<\/a>\u00a0is the second title in filmmaker\u00a0Jon M. Chu<\/a>\u2018s ambitious\u00a0big-screen adaptation<\/a>\u00a0of the iconic Broadway musical and book about the untold story of the witches of Oz.\u00a0Ariana Grande<\/a>\u00a0stars as Glinda the Good Witch and\u00a0Cynthia Erivo<\/a>\u00a0as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West.<\/p>\n \n\tIf it hits its target, the female-fueled movie will shatter numerous opening records. Domestically, it will boast the biggest start ever for a Broadway musical adaptation \u2014 as of now, last year\u2019s Wicked is the record-holder at $112.5 million \u2014 and the third-biggest of all time among any musical behind 2019\u2019s\u00a0The Lion King\u00a0and 2017\u2019s\u00a0Beauty and the Beast. It would also be the second-biggest North American opening ever for a Universal title, behind Jurassic World<\/a> ($208.8 million); the second-best for the weekend before Thanksgiving behind\u00a0The Hunger Games: Catching Fire ($158.1 million); and the second-best 3-day launch of 2025 to date behind A Minecraft Movie<\/a> ($208.9 million). Lilo & Stitch, opening over Memorial Day, collected $147 million for the three-day weekend and $182.6 million for the four-day holiday frame.<\/p>\n \n\tGlobally, Chu\u2019s film will likewise pass up Wicked to rank as the top launch ever for a Broadway adaptation. It would also be the fifth-biggest opening of all time for any musical, behind The Lion King (2019), Moana 2, Frozen 2 and\u00a0Beauty and the Beast. Lastly, it would pass up Superman to become the fourth-biggest, three-day opening of the year to date behind Jurassic World Rebirth, Minecraft and\u00a0Lilo & Stitch.<\/p>\n \n\tWicked: For Good\u00a0is a needed jolt for the struggling North American\u00a0box office<\/a>, which has suffered the worst fall in decades due to a glut of male-skewing pics and a lack of product for females and families. The movie\u2019s better-than-expected performance more than proves the buying power of girls and women; nearly 70 percent of Friday\u2019s audience were females. <\/p>\n