Universal's Thanksgiving pic opened to an estimated $114 million over the Nov. 22-24 weekend, more than three times the previous domestic record-holder, 'Into the Woods.'

Battling a 27 percent decline in domestic ticket sales compared with before the pandemic, studios left no marketing drum unthumped in releasing the movies.

Wicked also boasts the fourth-best start ever for a musical, falling between Frozen II ($130 million in 2019) and Halle Bailey ’s The Little Mermaid ($95.5 million in 2023). Overall, Wicked ’s release was the third-highest of the year behind Deadpool & Wolverine and Inside Out 2.