‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator II:’ Moviegoers ‘Glicked’ About November’s Blockbusters

CNN
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Hollywood is seeing green this weekend, with “Wicked” leading a big jump at the domestic box office.

“Wicked” and “Gladiator II” — which some have dubbed “Glicked” after the success of 2023 summer blockbusters “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” — combined for an estimated $169.5 million in their domestic debuts. “Wicked” is expected to earn $114 million, while “Gladiator II” will pull in $55.5 million.

Marketing was key to the two films’ opening weekend success, said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.

“Wicked,” which is distributed by Universal Pictures, and “Gladiator II,” which is distributed by Paramount Pictures, created a cultural moment that has been missed in recent years and could have stood on its own, but likely had a boost from “Glicked” phenomenon, Dergarabedian said.

Universal and Paramount did not respond to CNN’s requests for comment.

“Wicked” got off to a hot start Friday with $46.48 million from 3,888 theaters and now has the biggest opening weekend for a musical adaptation of a Broadway show, surpassing Disney’s “Into the Woods,” according to Black. It also took third place for the highest-grossing opening weekend of 2024.

“Gladiator II,” the sequel to the Best Picture winner 23 years ago, set the record for the biggest November opening day for an R-rated film with $22 million, according to Comscore.

Dergarabedian attributed the strong box office sales to the quality of the two films and the appeal of the vastly different genres. “Gladiator II” attracted older audiences with its violence, while “Wicked” was aimed at younger audiences. Both were hard to miss due to their virality.

“Another lesson is that two very high profile films can go side by side and both can thrive in the theatrical marketplace,” he said.

The SAG-AFTRA strikes, which lasted about four months in 2023, sent the industry’s release schedule into disarray this year. Dergarabedian said the box office had been underperforming until the release of “Inside Out 2” this summer. With this holiday boost and more releases in the coming weeks — including Disney’s “Moana 2” — Hollywood appears to be making up lost ground.

“It’s about them being really solid movies, they’re now playing into this holiday week,” Dergarabedian said. “They’ll be in the top 10 conversation at the box office a month from now.”

He also credits the year’s success to the diversity of genres. From “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” dominating September, “The Wild Robot” and “Venom: The Last Dance,” every audience has had a taste. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” which grossed over $450 million worldwide, is distributed by Warner Brothers Discovery, the parent company of CNN.

The total domestic box office – $7.3 billion – is down 10.6% from last year, but Dergarabedian expects it to bounce back soon. He added that the industry has seen significant progress since June, when it fell 26% from last year, and believes the box office could surpass the $8 billion mark by the end of the year.

“We’re hitting our stride in terms of cadence and frequency of movies now and into the new year. 2025 should be a particularly good year for cinemas, and 2026 looks like an absolute monster,” Dergarabedian said.