Wow, that was fast. ‘Wicked’ has been making box office history since its release on November 22nd. The long-awaited film adaptation of the 2003 Broadway musical has already grossed $460.8 million worldwide, making it the only movie based on a Broadway musical to top the list.
The film, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, comes from hit-studded director Jon M. Chu, whose resume includes adapting Broadway musicals and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s smash hit. Also included is the 2021 film adaptation of his work “In the Heights.”
Seven film adaptations of Broadway musicals rank on Box Office Mojo’s lifetime list of the top 1,000 films at the global box office. That includes Mamma Mia!, the film adaptation of the 2001 stage musical based on the music of ABBA, but its sequel Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, featuring Cher, is included. Not included. The latter is not a Broadway musical because it is actually just a sequel to a hit movie. (The sequel fared surprisingly well, grossing $395.6 million worldwide.) Of course, not all sequels are guaranteed box office success. “Grease” came along, but its 1982 sequel “Grease 2” didn’t come close, grossing just $15 million worldwide. (Grease 2 star Michelle Pfeiffer makes this list for Hairspray.)
Wicked Part 2 is scheduled to be released on November 21, 2025. Will it follow up on the box office success of its predecessor? If it does, Chu will join Rob Marshall as the only directors to have two films on this list. Marshall directed both Chicago and In the Woods.
There is one disclaimer at the top of this list. You can’t really compare the box office receipts of movies from different eras. The biggest blockbusters of yesteryear can’t match the box office success of today’s hits. According to Box Office Mojo, The Sound of Music’s worldwide box office gross was $159.5 million, which is not enough to earn it a spot on the list of the top 1,000 grossing movies. But this 1965 adaptation of the 1959 Broadway musical remains one of the biggest hits in film history.
Other film adaptations of Broadway musicals that have grossed more than $50 million worldwide, but not enough to make the list, include Dreamgirls ($155.5 million), 2021; West Side Story ($76 million), My Fair Lady ($72.7 million), Funny Girl ($52.2 million).
Here are the top seven box office-grossing movie adaptations of Broadway musicals. All of these are featured on Box Office Mojo’s list of the top 1,000 grossing films worldwide.
hair spray
Image credit: ©New Line Cinema/Courtesy of Everett Collection
Film’s worldwide box office gross: $203.6 million
Soundtrack Billboard 200 Peak: #2
Starring: John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Amanda Bynes, James Marsden, Queen Latifah, Brittany Snow, Zac Efron, Elijah Kelly, Allison Janney, Nikki Blonsky
Director: Adam Shankman
Movie release date: July 20, 2007
Broadway show opening date: August 15, 2002
Music credits: Music: Marc Shaiman; Lyrics: Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman
Into the Woods
Film’s worldwide box office gross: $212.9 million
Soundtrack Billboard 200 Peak: #8
Cast: Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, Tracy Ullman, Christine Baranski, Johnny Depp
Director: Rob Marshall
Movie release date: December 25, 2014
Broadway show opening date: November 5, 1987
Music credits: Music and lyrics: Stephen Sondheim
chicago
Image credit: Miramax/Courtesy of Everett Collection
Film’s worldwide box office gross: $306.8 million
Soundtrack Billboard 200 Peak: #2
Cast: Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, John C. Reilly, Lucy Liu, Colm Feore.
Director: Rob Marshall
Movie release date: January 24, 2003 (earlier in some markets)
Broadway show opening date: June 3, 1975
Music credits: Music by John Kander. Lyrics: Fred Ebb
grease
Image credit: Paramount Pictures/Courtesy of Everett Collection
Film’s worldwide box office gross: $396.3 million
Soundtrack Billboard 200 Peak: #1 (12 weeks)
Starring: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, Jeff Conaway, Eve Arden, Frankie Avalon, Joan Blondell, Edd Burns, Sid Caesar, Alice Ghostley, Dodie Goodman, Sha Nana
Director: Randall Kleiser
Movie release date: June 16, 1978
Broadway show opening date: February 14, 1972
Music credits: Music and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey
Les Misérables
Film’s worldwide box office gross: $442.8 million
Soundtrack Billboard 200 Peak: #1 (1 week)
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen
Director: Tom Hooper
Movie release date: December 25, 2012
Broadway show opening date: March 12, 1987
Music credits: Music by Claude-Michel Schoenberg. Lyricist: Herbert Kretzmer
evil
Worldwide box office gross of the film (so far): $460.8 million
Soundtrack Billboard 200 Peak: #2 (currently)
Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum.
Director: Jon M. Chu
Movie release date: November 22, 2024
Broadway show opening date: October 30, 2003
Music credits: Music and lyrics: Stephen Schwartz
Mamma Mia!
Image credit: Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
Film’s worldwide box office gross: $611.5 million
Soundtrack Billboard 200 Peak: #1 (1 week)
Starring: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski
Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Movie release date: July 18, 2008
Broadway show opening date: October 18, 2001
Music credits: Music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus
