Early audience screenings and an Amazon Prime advance-ticket program have pushed Wicked: For Good to a striking 98% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes ahead of its wide release on Friday, November 21. More than 1,000 audience reviews have been posted already, while critic reviews remain absent at the time of reporting. The strong early numbers echo the original Wicked’s broad fan support, which closed with a 95% audience score and 25,000+ reviews. Industry watchers are watching opening-weekend turnout closely to see how early enthusiasm translates into box-office performance.
Key Takeaways
- Wicked: For Good has a 98% Rotten Tomatoes audience score as of Nov 18, driven by 1,000+ user reviews submitted after early screenings.
- No critic reviews were listed on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of this report; the metric is therefore based solely on audience submissions.
- The sequel opens wide in theaters on Friday, November 21, though select advance showings began Monday, November 17 via Amazon Prime ticket promotions.
- The original Wicked finished with an 88% critic score and a 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 25,000+ audience reviews.
- The first film grossed approximately $758 million worldwide and earned ten Academy Award nominations, winning Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.
- Wicked’s opening domestic weekend in its first run was $112 million; analysts are comparing that benchmark to this sequel’s potential debut.
Background
The original Wicked film became a major box-office and awards contender, turning a popular stage musical into a 2024 cinematic event. That film’s combination of star casting, production scale and a built-in fanbase produced a $758 million global haul and ten Academy Award nominations, with wins for Costume Design and Production Design. Its critical reception (88% on Rotten Tomatoes) and audience enthusiasm (95% with more than 25,000 reviews) set a high bar for any follow-up.
Studios have increasingly experimented with advance-access ticketing and platform tie-ins to drive early buzz; Amazon Prime’s promotional screenings for Wicked: For Good are the latest example. Those early showings give superfans a chance to see films days before national release and often generate a concentrated burst of audience reviews. Historically, early-access review pools skew toward passionate viewers but are not always predictive of long-term sentiment once a broader audience weighs in.
Main Event
As of Nov 18, Rotten Tomatoes lists Wicked: For Good with a 98% audience score based on over 1,000 reviews, while critic reviews remained pending. Those audience submissions largely arrived after Amazon-enabled advance screenings that began Nov 17 in select markets — four days ahead of the official Nov 21 release. The timing explains the unusually early surge of user ratings and the gap between audience and critic tallies.
Fans who sought early screenings typically represent the franchise’s most engaged viewers, a group that can produce highly favorable assessments. That said, the original film’s 95% audience score indicates sustained affection among a wider base, so a near-100% early score for the sequel is not implausible — though the sample size remains small. Over time, as more casual moviegoers post reviews, the percentage could settle lower while still remaining robust.
From a distribution perspective, opening-weekend receipts will be the clearest gauge of whether early enthusiasm converts to mass-market success. The first Wicked launched to a $112 million domestic opening; even a modest dip for the sequel would still be commercially significant given the franchise recognition. International rollout and the scale of release abroad will also shape total revenue, noting the original’s unusual 62% domestic / 38% international split.
Analysis & Implications
Early audience scores that arrive before critic reviews can have outsized PR value. A 98% audience rating headline creates momentum on social platforms and can elevate ticket demand among fence-sitters. Studios often use such metrics in marketing collateral; for a franchise like Wicked, those early positive indicators can widen opening-week distribution and exhibitor confidence.
However, the methodological caveat is important: early-access audiences are self-selecting. Fans who pay for advance screenings — or who seek Amazon Prime ticket opportunities — are likelier to be predisposed to enjoy the film. This selection bias tends to inflate initial audience scores compared with samples that include casual viewers and more critical respondents.
Moreover, the absence of critic reviews means there is no immediate professional assessment to balance the early popular sentiment. Critics frequently provide context on technical craft, adaptation choices and pacing that audiences may rate differently. Once critics’ assessments are posted, the overall Rotten Tomatoes page will present a fuller picture and may help shape awards-season conversations if the sequel sustains acclaim.
Comparison & Data
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes Critic | Rotten Tomatoes Audience | Audience Reviews | Global Box Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wicked (original) | 88% | 95% | 25,000+ | $758M |
| Wicked: For Good (early) | — | 98% | 1,000+ | — |
The table shows the contrast in sample sizes: the sequel’s audience score is based on a far smaller review pool at this stage. That size difference typically produces greater volatility for the newer entry; a few hundred additional reviews can shift the percentage by multiple points. Box-office performance, when available, will be a clearer comparator for commercial success than early review tallies alone.
Reactions & Quotes
Industry and public responses have emphasized both the enthusiasm and the caveats around early scores.
“98% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes as of Nov 18 — driven by early fan screenings and Amazon Prime advance tickets.”
Rotten Tomatoes (audience aggregator)
This figure is a factual reflection of the audience metric on the aggregator; it does not include professional critic evaluations at the time recorded.
“Wicked: For Good will open in theaters on November 21, with select advance screenings beginning Nov 17 in some markets.”
Studio release information (public distribution schedule)
Studios regularly roll out limited early showings to build word-of-mouth; the Nov 17 advance dates are the proximate cause of the early review burst.
Unconfirmed
- Whether the 98% audience score will hold as thousands more reviews arrive after the Nov 21 wide release — current data are from a small, early pool of 1,000+ reviews.
- How critical reviews (Tomatometer) will rate Wicked: For Good once critics’ assessments are published; no critic consensus was available at time of reporting.
- Exact final global box-office take for Wicked: For Good and whether it will match or exceed the original’s $758 million worldwide total is not yet known.
Bottom Line
The 98% Rotten Tomatoes audience score for Wicked: For Good is a noteworthy early indicator of strong fan enthusiasm, driven largely by advance Amazon Prime-enabled screenings that began Nov 17. While the figure creates positive pre-release momentum, its reliability as a predictor of long-term reception is limited by sample size and selection bias.
For a fuller assessment, wait for three signals: the addition of professional critic reviews (Tomatometer), a larger and more geographically diverse set of audience reviews after Nov 21, and opening-weekend box-office figures compared against the $112 million domestic benchmark set by the first film. If the sequel maintains broad positive sentiment across those measures, it will likely be both a commercial and awards-season contender.
Sources
- Forbes — Media report summarizing early Rotten Tomatoes figures and distribution context.
- Rotten Tomatoes — Audience and critic aggregation platform (audience score cited).
- The Academy (oscars.org) — Official record of 2025 Academy Award nominations and winners referenced for the original film.