[Witch Witchcraft Wizardry Broom. Photo Credit to Pixabay]

The musical movie "Wicked" has made a strong debut  worldwide,  topping the box office in both South Korea and the United States. 

It is expected to draw audiences to theaters by the end of the year, marking the best opening among the original Broadway productions.

The film attracted 507,711 viewers over three days, from the 22nd to the 24th, securing the top spot at the box office in the first weekend of its release in South Korea.

By the 30th, the total number of movie theater admission tickets in Korea surpassed 1 million.

"Wicked" brings the acclaimed Broadway musical of the same name, one of the greatest musical works of  the 21st century, to the big screen. 

Popular pop star Ariana Grande and celebrated musical star Cynthia Erivo deliver emotionally charged performances, and portray the process of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) embarking on  unexpected adventures and friendships at a place where wizards gather. 

Director John Chu who produced two to three "Step Up" episodes and two to three "Now You See Me" episodes was the director.

The response in the United States has been even more enthusiastic than in South Korea. 

According to box office mojo, which provides statistics on movie box office hits in the United States and around the world, the film, which was released in the United States on the 22nd, earned $114 million from the 22nd to the 24th, the first weekend. 

The opening performance of "Wicked" in the United States is the third highest among films released this year, following "Deadpool and Wolverine" (211 million dollars) and "Inside Out 2" (154 billion dollars).

In addition, "Wicked" made its global debut with an impressive  164.18 million dollars, surpassing "Les Misérables," a musical film that earned 130 million dollars in global opening revenue in 2012. 

With this achievement, "Wicked" set the record for highest opening record in the world for a musical film based on a Broadway show.

"Wicked" originated as a fantasy novel written by American author Gregory Maguire (published in 1995) and expanded to include a musical in 2003 and this year's movie. 

A closer look at it reveals the basis of "Wicked." 

"Wicked," which stars the evil western witch in American fairy tale "The Wizard of Oz" by Ryman Frank Baum in 1900, addressing the prejudice that she rejects and rejects when she is different from me.

Citing David Gross, who runs a film consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research, the U.S. entertainment media Variety said the first week of "Wicked" was a "great record," adding, "Audiences experience songs and costumes and enjoy them in their own way."

Variety cited the recent failure of musicals-based films such as "Cats," directed by Tom Hooper in 2019, "In the Heights" (2021) by John Chu, and "West Side Story" (2021) by Steven Spielberg, saying, "Despite the steady popularity of musicals, the success of "Wicked" is unusual in film history."

"Wicked" received an A grade from market research firm CinemaScore, while "Rotten Tomato," a rating website, reported a  90 percent of the freshness index involving media and critics, and 97 percent of the popcorn index, which means audience satisfaction. 

Critics and viewers alike are praising  iconic songs such as "Defying Gravity" and "Popular," which are masterpieces of the original.

Variety offered an optimistic outlook, saying, "Thanks to critical reviews, positive word of mouth, and an addictive musical soundtrack, 'Wicked' is expected to encourage re-watching through the Thanksgiving holiday and December."

In particular, the box office remains at the top of the box office despite the offensive of prominent competitors, maintaining its momentum through  steady word-of-mouth success, drawing more attention to future box office performances.