Universal Is Ready to ‘Figure Out’ a Wicked: For Good Sequel

To paraphrase the movie’s Ariana Grande–sung second-act opener, “ Thank Goodness ,” Universal Pictures — and, indeed, the entire cinema ecosystem — simply couldn’t be happier about Wicked: For Good . Over its opening weekend in 4,115 North American theaters, the don’t-call-it-a-sequel part deux to last year’s pre-Thanksgiving smash Wicked took in a massive $150 million to become the top-grossing Broadway-musical adaptation of all time (thereby throwing a bucket of water on the existing record of $112.5 million held by the first Wicked ). Defying box-office gravity that has financially downed any number of star-driven awards-season movies — Dwayne Johnson’s The Smashing Machine ; Sydney Sweeney’s Christy ; Glen Powell’s Stephen King remake, The Running Man ; and th