Box office news: ‘Wicked: For Good’ eyeing strong opening after disastrous October for cinemas
After a major franchise misstep and award-hopeful misfires, October 2025 has gone down as a box office letdown.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, a U.S. domestic gross of just $425 million across all titles is a 27-year low, excluding the pandemic-impacted 2020.
However, there is hope on the horizon in the form of Wicked: For Good, writes Film News Blitz’s Dan Lawrence.
A horror-show Halloween box office
October’s miserable box office has been compounded by an underwhelming Halloween weekend in cinemas.
In a year where horror has soared, Halloween 2025 has been lacking, with the likes of rom-com Regretting You scoring a paltry joint-best $8 million with slasher sequel Black Phone 2.
Alas, there is little cause for jubilation as an estimated Halloween total of $49.8 million in North American cinemas is the lowest-scoring weekend of the year, and the worst Halloween return in 31 years, excluding 2020.
Why have October and Halloween failed to deliver in cinemas?
There are several reasons why October and Halloween have seen scant returns at the box office.
One is the Disney flop, Tron: Ares, a big-budget (estimated $180 million) legacy sequel that has yet to break even.
Another is the likes of awards-hopefuls The Smashing Machine and Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, failing to resonate with mainstream audiences.
Dwayne Johnson’s Oscars pitch as UFC fighter Mark Kerr in director Benny Safdie’s A24 flick grossed just $19 million worldwide in an under-the-radar cinema run, and just $11.3 million in North America.
READ MORE: ‘Tron: Ares’ review: A lifeless attempt at modern sci-fi
Meanwhile, Jeremy Allen White’s turn as Bruce Springsteen is still in cinemas, but hasn’t garnered a huge head of steam, grossing just $16.2 million in North America and totalling $30.5 million worldwide.
Finally, the absence of Mortal Kombat II, which was originally supposed to open on the weekend of October 23-25, but will now grace cinemas next Spring, left a blockbuster-shaped hole at the box office.
So, a perfect storm of ingredients has hurt the cinema exhibiting experience during the last month.
However, November has some hopeful would-be hits to turn things around.
‘Wicked: For Good’ poised to be a box office smash
The month of November has some big films opening with hopes of getting big business at the box office.
Predator: Badlands and The Running Man open on November 7, before Wicked: For Good and Zootopia 2 open on November 21 and 26, respectively.
Last year’s Broadway adaptation of the first half of Wicked, by director Jon. M Chu and starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, was a humongous hit.
Winning two Oscars and earning a nomination for best picture, Wicked went on to gross over $750 million worldwide at the box office.
That success was built on a $112.5 million opening weekend in North America, a record for a musical adaptation, but this year’s follow-up could go even better.
Estimates suggest Wicked: For Good will open between $115 and $120 million.
If the films preceding it, and Zootopia 2, can also enjoy success, then November will be a great recovery after a disappointing October.
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