Posted by It’s beginning to look a lot like … a pink and green Thanksgiving, thanks to the multitude of retailers hopping aboard the Wicked train for the anticipated release of the stage musical turned feature film.
Coming to theaters near you between turkey festivities and Black Friday shopping, the film version starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo is speculated to take in an estimated $80 to $150 million at the box office during its opening weekend. But with other recent theater-release musicals yielding unimpressive numbers, analysts admit it’s hard to say.
The film tells the backstory of Glenda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West from the famed Judy Garland classic, The Wizard of Oz. Whether Wicked meets box office expectations or not, the film has already succeeded at inundating the retail world with merchandise galore.
Everything from apparel, to shoes, to home décor, toys, and even one-of-a-kind limited edition automobiles are on the Wicked docket this holiday season. The signature pink and green colors, representing the two alternating protagonists, are prominently splashed throughout the movie’s promotional items.
Movie theaters, who’ve struggled to survive in underperforming markets since COVID, are also hoping their themed drinks, popcorn buckets, and miscellaneous movie-themed merchandise will help lure viewers to the big screen to watch in their venues.
Target and Wal-Mart are betting big by stocking shelves with plentiful Wicked merchandise this season. Lego and Mattel have themed brick sets and Barbie dolls ready. Starbucks is set with a collection of movie-themed tumblers and mugs, plus special drinks lined up on the menu. Betty Crocker is releasing a cake mix that is “mix to reveal” – meaning it will turn either pink or green when the wet ingredients are added. And Lexus by Toyota will offer two movie-themed cars with promotional wraps.
Retailers hope that the items being available for a limited time only will boost sales and encourage consumers to collect merchandise while they can. Inventory will not be restocked once it’s gone. Big box retailers are especially hoping the movie hype will pad their sales ahead of the holidays in what’s been an otherwise lagging year.
The Broadway show the film is based upon proved to be one of the most popular and highest grossing musicals of all time. At the Gershwin Theater in New York City alone, ticket sales have exceeded the 14.5 million mark since the show began in 2003, which equates to over $1.67 billion from ticket sale proceeds.
Another perk is the show already has a devoted fan base, which retailers hope will migrate over to the film genre, along with newcomers who may only see the movie. Will their gamble pay off? Read more here.