Box Office: ‘Wicked’ Overtakes ‘Mamma Mia’ as Biggest Global Broadway Adaptation, ‘Sonic 3’ Sets Franchise Record With $74 Million International Debut

variety.com:

Rebecca Rubin Senior Film and Media Reporter Universal’s “Wicked” is officially the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation in global box office history, overtaking 2008’s “Mamma Mia” to notch the harmonious milestone. “Wicked” has generated $634 million worldwide after six weeks of release while “Mamma Mia” amassed $611 million (not adjusted for inflation) by the end of its box office run. “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, has earned $424 million domestically and, weeks ago, 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.

This record is also notable because it bucks the recent trend of underseen stage-to-screen remakes, including 2023’s “The Color Purple” and 2021’s “West Side Story,” “Dear Evan Hansen” and “In the Heights.” Meanwhile, Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” cemented a franchise record with $74 million in its international box office debut, the largest overseas opening in the family friendly series.

This number has been slightly inflated to include preview screenings. However, the three-day figure still towers above 2022’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” which launched with $33 million from abroad markets.