'Wicked' becomes highest-grossing film based on a Broadway musical. Here's what it beat.

"Wicked" isn't finished defying gravity at the box office.

After more than a month in theaters, the hit film has set a new record as the highest-grossing movie based on a Broadway musical ever.

The record was previously held by 2008's "Mamma Mia!," which grossed $611 million at the worldwide box office, according to Box Office Mojo. "Wicked" has so far grossed $635 million worldwide, per Box Office Mojo.

The success of "Wicked" is a big win for the genre of films based on stage musicals, many of which have struggled financially in recent years.

In 2021, "Wicked" director Jon M. Chu's own "In the Heights," based on Lin-Manuel Miranda's stage show, underperformed at the box office, though its release was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. "Cats," Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story," and "Dear Evan Hansen" also failed to do big business, raising questions about the viability of the musical adaptation in theaters.

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But "Wicked" turned things around in a major way to become one of the biggest hit films of the year. It currently stands as the sixth highest-grossing movie of 2024, and it is the only film in the top six that is not a sequel. As of Tuesday, the 2024 movies that have grossed more than "Wicked" worldwide are "Dune: Part Two," "Moana 2," "Despicable Me 4," "Deadpool & Wolverine," and "Inside Out 2."

In January, the movie version of the "Mean Girls" musical also performed fairly well, grossing over $100 million worldwide. It was originally intended to be released directly to streaming.

Previous musical adaptations that "Wicked" has outgrossed include "Les Misérables" ($442.8 million), "Grease" ($396 million), and "Chicago" ($306.8 million).

On top of cleaning up at the box office, "Wicked" looks set to have a presence throughout awards season. It has four nominations at Sunday's Golden Globe Awards, including best comedy or musical. The film was also named best movie of the year by the National Board of Review, an honor that typically precedes a best picture nomination at the Academy Awards.

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Though domestic box office totals remain down from pre-pandemic times, 2024 has still seen several blockbuster films set new records. Disney's "Inside Out 2" became the highest-grossing animated film of all time, "Deadpool & Wolverine" became the highest-grossing R-rated film, and "Moana 2" had the biggest Thanksgiving weekend ever.

Heading into 2025, the slate is packed with even more potential blockbusters like "Jurassic World Rebirth," "Superman," and "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," not to mention the highly anticipated "Wicked" follow-up, "Wicked: For Good," which adapts the second half of the Broadway musical, hits theaters on Nov. 21.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Wicked' box office record set: Biggest Broadway musical film ever