“Wicked” has a high bar to clear to rank as a top-grossing musical, let alone score major Oscar gold: The five top-grossing Hollywood musicals have exceeded the $1-billion mark worldwide, and the next three under that, including best picture nominee “Bohemian Rhapsody,” are just below with more than $900 million each.
“Wicked,” a long-in-the-making adaptation of the hit stage musical of the same name, shares the same source material as “The Wizard of Oz.” The movie, which stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as green-tinged Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, premiered in theaters Nov. 22. Part two of the origin story is slated to arrive in multiplexes next year.
At their most successful, movie musicals frequently draw family crowds, which helps boost box office returns, sometimes through repeat viewings. Disney produced the seven top-grossing Hollywood musicals, a group that includes photorealistic remakes of past animated hits and a sequel to “Frozen.” “The Lion King” remake from 2019 tops the list, having grossed $1.7 billion worldwide. By comparison, the 1994 animated original grossed $981.7 million; adjusted for inflation, that tally climbs to $2.1 billion, surpassing the remake.
