Wicked” is pocketing lots of green, with the Universal release coming in on the upper side of projections to head toward the third-biggest domestic opening of the year. Now forecasting a $117 million sum for the weekend,

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' is opening to $117M at the weekend box office, the best ever for a Broadway feature adaptation while 'Gladiator 2' is seeing $60M.