The industry thinks Wicked: For Good is going to defy gravity and win the box office this holiday season.

In a poll yesterday, Kidscreen‘s readers weighed in on which upcoming releases they thought would most likely top the box office in what’s shaping up to be a strong quarter. And the industry picked Universal Pictures’ epic live-action musical, which comes out November 21.

This fantasy film is a sequel to the 2024 film Wicked, which earned more than US$750 million worldwide and was nominated for 10 Oscars. Universal has been busy building a strong L&M business around the franchise, including deals with Mattel, Jakks Pacific and Jazwares—and even with Cloudco, to make Care Bears plush for the sequel.

Kids have been enchanted by Wicked. In Childwise’s latest report, Wicked was named the fifth favorite film among seven to 12s in the UK, even beating hit musicals KPop Demon Hunters and Mean Girls.

Other movies the industry named as top Q4 contenders are Zootopia 2, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ sequel to the US$1-billion box office earner Zootopia, and Disney’s Avatar: Fire & Ash, the third film in a franchise that has collectively grossed more than US$4 billion.

And even though the finale of Stranger Things is only getting a limited release in theaters, some in the industry project Netflix’s third-most popular series could make a serious box office splash.