Japan Box Office: Snow White and Wicked compete for musical supremacy; Doraemon stays No 1

Japan’s box office witnessed a fierce musical showdown as Snow White debuted at No. 2, narrowly edging out Wicked, while Doraemon dominated the Spring National Holiday with a commanding lead.

Written by Seema Sinha , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Mar 21, 2025 | 12:01 PM IST | 5.9K

Picture Courtesy: Disney, Universal Pictures

Japan’s box office was alive and thriving on March 20, the Spring National Holiday, hosting a musical battle between new arrival Snow White and holdover release Wicked, which debuted in the territory last week, several months after its successful global debut.

The former film witnessed a USD 890K Thursday opening day, debuting at No. 2, slightly ahead of the Tony-winning Broadway musical adaptation, which grossed USD 845K on its second Thursday. The film climbed 88 percent from last Thursday to take its total cume to USD 10.7M.

Word of mouth for Snow White is mixed in Japan, with a 3.6-star rating from audiences, placing it below Cruella and Aladdin, which each have a 4.1-star rating. It's even beneath Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Cinderella, and The Little Mermaid, which each earned 4.0 stars, 3.8 stars, and 3.7 stars from viewers.

The offering is the live-action remake of Disney’s iconic 1937 animation Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It stars Rachel Zegler in the titular role, with Gal Gadot playing the Evil Queen and her stepmother in her first role as a villain. Andrew Burnap also stars in the film, playing Zegler's love interest.

Wicked, for those unversed, stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in the lead roles. Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Marissa Bode, Ethan Slater, Peter Dinklage, and more round out the ensemble cast. The story follows Grande’s Galinda and Erivo’s Elphaba during their days at the school of wizardry in Oz and traces their journey to becoming Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.

Wicked grossed over USD 700 million worldwide and won two Academy Awards before debuting in Japan. The sequel to the film, officially titled Wicked: For Good, arrives in theaters this coming November.

Meanwhile, here’s how Doraemon, the leader of the Spring National Holiday, performed at the Japanese box office yesterday. The franchise’s 44th film, Nobita’s Art World Tales, benefited massively from kids and families being off, grossing USD 1.6 million on its second Thursday, taking its total cume to USD 12.4 million.

Are you catching Snow White in theaters starting today? Do let us know!