Wicked Breaks Box Office Records In Huge Pre-Thanksgiving Weekend Alongside Gladiator II

Wicked Breaks Box Office Records In Huge Pre-Thanksgiving Weekend Alongside Gladiator II

As a die-hard movie enthusiast with decades of cinema under my belt, I must say this past week has been nothing short of spectacular at the box office! From the captivating melodies of “Wicked” to the historical grandeur of “Gladiator II“, it seems we’ve been graced with an unparalleled one-two punch of epic proportions.


This weekend marks the long-awaited debut of “Wickediator,” with Jon M. Chu’s Broadway adaptation of “Wicked” hitting theaters on the same day as Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II.” The magical “Wicked” dominated the box office, raking in $114 million during its first three days and setting new records. Despite this, “Gladiator II” had a strong showing, earning $55.5 million domestically, contributing significantly to what is expected to be one of the best-grossing weekends of the year, with a total revenue of approximately $205 million.

Leveraging the idea that more people, particularly women, might prefer Wicked, and men might opt for Gladiator II, proved profitable (hopefully many will enjoy both), as it resulted in the highest pre-Thanksgiving box office since 2013. Let’s examine the outcome (from The Numbers) on the chart below, and we’ll delve into the details next.

Wicked Breaks Box Office Records In Huge Pre-Thanksgiving Weekend Alongside Gladiator II

Wicked Earns Best Opening Ever For A Broadway Adaptation

In this rephrased version: Despite whether or not fans were acquainted with the book or previous Broadway performance, it was anticipated that the musical featuring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo would attract spectators. Critics found the adaptation to be extraordinary, with our reviewer Riley Utley giving Wicked a flawless 5-star rating. The film appears to meet the high expectations, as it currently holds the record for the highest domestic opening for a Broadway adaptation, according to Variety, surpassing Into the Woods, which made $31 million in 2014 with its $114 million.

The film surpassed the previous record for a worldwide box office debut for a Broadway adaptation, as it grossed $164.2 million during its first week, outperforming “Les Miserables” which made $103 million globally on its opening weekend back in 2012.

In a remarkable showcase, the musical Wicked ranks fourth among all-time strongest starts for any musical, with earnings similar to those of Frozen II in 2019 (around $130 million) and Halle Bailey’s The Little Mermaid in 2023 ($95.5 million). In terms of releases this year, only the premieres of Deadpool & Wolverine and Inside Out 2 outranked that of Wicked.

On the same weekend, Gladiator II and Wicked hit cinemas, and together they dominated the box office with their collective earnings of $169.5 million, accounting for 83% of the total $205 million earned from domestic ticket sales that weekend. Yet, this double-bill didn’t quite match the strength shown by “Barbenheimer,” which garnered a combined $235.5 million in July of 2023 upon its release.

On its debut night, Wickediator didn’t fall short of expectations, as it managed to earn the highest pre-Thanksgiving week gross since the pandemic, with an estimated total of $205 million in ticket sales. Remarkably, this weekend’s earnings were comparable to 2019, when Frozen 2 reigned supreme with $204.9 million, according to Deadline. Moreover, it marked the strongest weekend at the box office since 2013, surpassing the record set by The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which had earned $226.5M during its peak.

Wicked Breaks Box Office Records In Huge Pre-Thanksgiving Weekend Alongside Gladiator II

Gladiator II Gets Huge International Bump As It Flies By Predecessor’s Earnings

Worldwide, Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” hit the screens on November 15, bringing in $165.5 million from international box office sales. With its domestic debut earnings added, it has now accumulated a total of $221 million. Such impressive figures will be crucial for recovering the film’s substantial production and marketing expenses, estimated at around $350 million. The movie features Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington, whose performances are generating positive buzz among critics.

Back in 2000, the film “Gladiator” held on in cinemas for more than a year, ultimately grossing an impressive $451.7 million globally. Will its sequel maintain such longevity? Only time will tell, but it’s starting off strong. The 2024 movie has already earned $55.5 million in its opening weekend, significantly surpassing the three-day box office earnings of the original film’s premiere, which was $34.8 million.

In contrast to Gladiator II, Russell Crowe’s historical drama garnered more favorable reviews. The original film earned an A rating on CinemaScore, while its sequel settles for a B. On Rotten Tomatoes, the initial release was well-received by critics with an 80% Fresh rating, compared to the current movie’s 71%. It remains to be seen if Denzel Washington’s captivating performance will provide the necessary staying power.

This week is significant for the actor famed in Training Day, as he not only takes center stage but also steps into a producing role for The Piano Lesson, a production now streaming with a Netflix subscription. Interestingly, his son, John David Washington, stars in this movie, and it marks the directorial debut for another son, Malcolm Washington. The film made its impressive debut by landing among Netflix’s Top 10 Movies during its premiere weekend.

Red One Sees Dramatic Week 2 Drop, But It’s Not All Bad For Dwayne Johnson

Despite Red One dominating the box office during its opening weekend, the combined force of the films mentioned earlier left Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Christmas action-comedy with few options other than a decline. Its $13.3 million earnings in its second week represent a 59% drop compared to its first week, and even considering international box office sales, which totaled $117.1 million worldwide, the path ahead for this movie seems challenging.

In essence, Amazon MGM’s expectation for Amazon’s upcoming movie, directed by Jake Kasdan, is likely a lengthy run in cinemas. This is because the film needs to play in theaters for some time if it aims to recover its substantial budget, estimated between $200 million and $250 million. The creators would have hoped to make a dent in that amount during the movie’s first fortnight in theatres.

In his initial major film release following the setback of “Black Adam” in 2022, it’s unlikely Dwayne Johnson got the outcome he desired. However, there’s no need to pity the WWE legend, as he’s expected to make a strong comeback with the release of “Moana 2” this coming Wednesday. This transition leads us nicely to our next topic.

How Will Moana 2 Shake Up Wickediator’s Success?

In the upcoming film Moana 2, set to release on November 27, both Dwayne Johnson and Auliʻi Cravalho will be reprising their roles from the cherished 2016 animated movie. Although some initial apprehension has been expressed by long-term fans such as Sarah El Mahmoud of TopMob, the general response to Disney’s sequel has been predominantly favorable, with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s absence from the music not seeming to dampen the enthusiasm.

It seems that “Wicked” and “Moana 2”, being musicals and family-friendly respectively, might experience a larger impact on this week’s Top 2 compared to “Gladiator II” and Ridley Scott’s film due to their shared audience demographic.

If the initial forecasts hold true, it appears both films might underperform at the box office. Predictions indicate that the animated sequel could gross nine figures during its first five days, making it one of only five movies this year to achieve this feat, with Deadpool & Wolverine, Inside Out 2, Wicked, and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice having already surpassed this mark. We’ll have to wait and see, so do join me next Sunday for a closer look at the box office results.

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2024-11-25 01:37