Considering that it’s on over 4100 screens, is the sequel/second half of a blockbuster that fans couldn’t get enough and it showing pretty much every thirty minutes at every cineplex in America, “Wicked: For Good” had better blow up at the box office. Every theater chain bet on that.

The film sold a staggering $30 million in tickets just Thursday afternoon and night, and added to Friday’s $38 million+, that totals into a $68-70 million or so “opening day. The Numbers verifies that it hit $150 million before midnight Sunday.

Pre-opening ticket sales were through the roof, so none of this is a shock. h “A Minecraft Movie” ($163 million opening weekend, raking in $423 million in North America alone) and become the year’s biggest hit? It’s within the realm of possibility for both this weekend, or by year’s end, and certainly will be the bigger hit by late January, when “Wicked” either finishes its run or gets an Oscar bounce.

It did my surpass”A Minecraft Movie” ($163 million opening weekend, raking in $423 million in North America alone) and become the year’s biggest hit? It’s within the realm of possibility for “Wicked 2” to pass Jack Black & Co  by year’s end, and certainly will be the bigger hit by late January, when “Wicked” either finishes its run or gets an Oscar bounce.

I don’t see that “bounce” happening, but it may yet have box office “legs.”

I saw it at a matinee in a small Southern city where it was booked every 30 minutes after 230 and the only showing that was reasonably well-attended (I was in the cinema all day) was the one I caught at 7 Thursday night. But a trickle of fans was getting out to catch it opening day and night, even there.

Financially, it was canny to split the popular stage musical into two halves with the first film opening to $112 million last fall on its way to a $474 million take. Figure the two halves will clear a $billion when all is said and done.

But aesthetically and in terms of how the halves play, it was a mistake. I’m not the only critic to pan it. Whatever hopeful, accepting messaging the play had that the movie defiantly doubles down on under the current repressive American regime is all the viewer has to cling to as the story loses whatever heart and spark it had going for it at the outset. Fans will go and say they’re pleased, but I didn’t hear a laugh from the half-full house I saw it in.

Early projections had this film opening in the $175-200 million range, so Saturday’s take will be telling. Maybe that pre-release enthusiasm has cooled a bit. Or maybe not.

“Now You See Me Now You Don’t” is looking at a $9.1 million or so second weekend, a 55-60% falloff from its opening weekend. This lifeless reboot earned $27 million its opening week, but the word on that one is that it’s big in China and it’s still #2 at the U.S. box office.

“Predator Badlands” sticks around earning another $6.25 for third place.

“The Running Man” is falling off apace, and should clear $6 million and come in fourth on its sophomore outing. This heartless remake turned out to be a pretty big bomb, and Glen Powell isn’t as “box office” as everybody had thought. He isn’t the reason filmgoers flocked to “Twister.”

The first weekend of “Rental Family” in wide release cracks the top five at $3.2.

It’s the best movie in most cinemas at the moment.

“Sisu: Road to Revenge” did $575K Thursday for  $2.6 million and the second five (sixth place) is all to expect from that.  Reviews for this one have been more generous than mine. It’s basically an inferior followup with low stakes, slow pace and even more outlandish slaughter, I thought. Dead Russians play, though. Wildly overrated by splatter film fanatics.full top temn, visit The Numbers.

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