The highly anticipated sequel, "Wicked: For Good," is making a significant impact at the box office, casting a spell with $30.8 million in previews, marking the biggest pre-opening haul of the year. This impressive figure, however, includes early screenings such as Monday fan screenings sponsored by Amazon Prime ($6.1 million) and additional Wednesday showings ($6.5 million), alongside the traditional Thursday previews which brought in $18.2 million. The film is projected to achieve an opening weekend gross of $150 million to $180 million, potentially claiming the title of the biggest box office debut of the year, surpassing Warner Bros.’ "A Minecraft Movie," which opened with $162 million after $10.6 million in Thursday previews. Universal is cautiously predicting a $125 million opening, but fan excitement for Ariana Grande's Glinda and Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba is exceptionally high. This performance echoes the success of its predecessor, the original "Wicked," which garnered $19.2 million in previews and a $112.5 million opening weekend last year, contributing to a record-setting Thanksgiving box office alongside "Gladiator II" and "Moana 2." "Wicked: For Good" is currently playing in theaters, with Disney’s "Zootopia 2" set to open next week, continuing the holiday season box office competition. Other films opening this weekend include Sony’s action sequel "Sisu: Road to Revenge" ($575,000 in Thursday previews, projected $3 million debut) and Searchlight’s "Rental Family," starring Brendan Fraser, expected in the low single digits.

Director Jon M. Chu has revealed intricate details about the creative process behind "Wicked: For Good," describing it as the installment where he "tears down walls" – both literally and figuratively. One of the film's most talked-about sequences, the split-door staging of "For Good," was an unscripted moment born from improvisation during early rehearsals. Chu recounts how Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, in an emotional goodbye, pressed their hands against an imaginary door, moving him to tears and solidifying the moment's authenticity. This powerful interaction convinced Chu to "knock down that wall" on the physical set, despite warnings that the set couldn't be reused, prioritizing emotional truth over practical constraints. The resulting split-frame sequence, with Erivo and Grande separated by the destroyed barrier, became the emotional centerpiece of the film and directly inspired the title "For Good."

Chu also fought to preserve an improvised line, "I love you," spoken by Erivo to Grande on set, despite Oz's established linguistic rules that prohibit such expressions, alongside "God" and "okay." He argued that the line was "so human" and "crossed over a boundary of Oz into our world," eventually convincing Stephen Schwartz, the original stage score writer, to permit it. "Wicked: For Good" is intentionally a darker, more political tragedy, a "descent" compared to the "lighter, comedic rise" of the first film. Chu delves into the transformation of Boq, played by Ethan Slater, into the Tin Man, characterizing it as "the birth of a monster" that transcends physical change. He explains Boq's journey as a search for acknowledgment, culminating in him finding "community in hate" during a powerful speech on the steps of the Capitol of Oz, realizing he no longer needs Glinda.

The film also leaves the long-debated question of whether Glinda knows Elphaba is alive at the end open to interpretation. Chu has a "definitive idea" but prefers audiences to interpret it themselves, emphasizing that the power of the ending lies in both women stepping into the unknown, with Glinda embracing "Glinda the Good" and Elphaba embarking on a new life. Chu acknowledges the striking relevance of the film's political imagery – misinformation, fracturing communities, and truth being a matter of collective belief – but notes that the line, "the truth is not a thing of fact or reason, it's just what we all agree on," was written two decades ago, showcasing the timelessness of the story.

Adding to the global footprint of Hollywood productions, "Wicked: For Good" is also associated with a significant development in the post-production industry. Global post-production and VFX giant Company 3 has formalized an agreement with the nascent Film Committee at Media City Qatar to establish a high-end post-production and VFX studio in Doha. Headed by ace colorist Stefan Sonnenfeld, Company 3 handles post-production for a vast array of Hollywood series and films, including "Wicked: For Good," "F1," "Superman," "Frankenstein," and "Stranger Things" Season 5. The new facility in Doha, the Qatari capital, is slated for completion in approximately six months.

This strategic partnership is a cornerstone of Qatar's ambitious vision to become the production and post-production hub for the Middle East and Africa. The Qatar Film Committee, an official body tasked with fostering the country's entertainment industry, will provide a structured funding and facilitation framework. Sonnenfeld highlighted the excitement of bringing "the best" post-production services to Qatar, coupled with "the best rebates in the world." He revealed that discussions for this agreement began two years ago, initiated by Sheikha Mayassa, the sister of the Emir of Qatar, and continued with Hassan Al Thawadi, Chairman of the Qatar Film Committee and former overseer of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Company 3 also acted as a consultant in designing Qatar's new production rebate, the Qatar Screen Production Incentive, which offers up to 50% cash incentive on qualifying Qatari production expenditure. Notably, for post-production, this incentive is not tied to the project actually shooting in Qatar. The incentive includes a 40% base rebate with an additional uplift of up to 10% for criteria like hiring Qatari talent, investing in local training, and promoting Qatari culture. Al Thawadi emphasized that this partnership aligns with Qatar’s commitment to building advanced creative infrastructure, positioning Doha as a destination for world-class post-production and visual effects. This deal follows recent production partnerships announced by the Qatar Film Committee with U.S. studios like Neon and Miramax.