As a seasoned movie buff with decades of theater visits under my belt, I must say that the weekend of November 25-27 has truly been a cinematic spectacle! The duo of ‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator II’ has not only captivated audiences but also shattered the records for the highest-grossing weekend of the fall season.
It’s fitting that “Wicked” was the preferred choice among moviegoers who flocked to watch the big-screen adaptation of the Broadway musical over the weekend, outperforming “Gladiator II” at the box office. Despite “Gladiator II” performing well enough for a second place finish, it was the prequel to “The Wizard of Oz” that claimed the top spot. According to The Numbers, “Wicked” grossed an estimated $114 million in its debut domestically, while “Gladiator II” earned $55.5 million, securing the runner-up position.
With an impressive opening day earnings of $46.5 million, the film starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in Wicked outperformed the debut of Gladiator II ($22 million). By the end of the weekend, Wicked emerged victorious. Both fans and critics on Rotten Tomatoes appeared to favor the enchanting musical over the epic drama of Gladiator II. As for audience reactions upon leaving the theater, Wicked received an “A” CinemaScore, whereas Gladiator II received a “B.
In my opinion, while “Wicked” held its own on the domestic box office, “Gladiator II” proved to be the reigning champion overseas with a significant head start. The collaboration between Washington and Scott has indeed been a triumph abroad, amassing an impressive $165.5 million so far, contributing to a global total of $221 million for the sequel. On the other hand, “Glinda” and “Elphaba” continued their gravity-defying act overseas, earning another $50.2 million, pushing their global earnings to $164.2 million.
‘Wicked’ Leads Highest-Grossing Weekend of the Fall
The financial triumphs of the movies “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” set a new record for the best opening weekend during the entire fall movie season, earning an astounding $204.9 million in domestic box office sales. This surpassed the previous record held by “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” which had a debut of $147.6 million back on Sept. 6-8, 1988. Furthermore, director Jon M. Chu’s musical hit ranked third for the best opening weekend in 2024, with earnings of $114 million, only trailing “Deadpool & Wolverine” ($211.4 million) and “Inside Out 2” ($154.2 million).
During its second weekend, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s movie Red One experienced a 59% drop compared to its opening weekend, but still managed to secure the third position at the box office with earnings of $13.3 million. The war drama directed by Todd Komarnicki, titled Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin., made its debut at number four with a take of $5.1 million, while Venom: The Last Dance ended up as the fifth highest grossing film by earning an additional $4 million.
Highest-Grossing Movies of 2024 (Domestically):
- Inside Out 2 ($652.9 million)
- Deadpool & Wolverine ($636.7 million)
- Despicable Me 4 ($361 million)
- Beetlejuice Beetlejuice ($294.1 million)
- Dune: Part Two ($282.1 million)
- Twisters ($267.8 million)
- Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire ($196.4 million)
- Kung Fu Panda 4 ($193.59 million)
- Bad Boys: Ride or Die ($193.57 million)
- Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes ($171.1 million)
The weekend’s best per-theater average also went to Wicked ($29,321), but Janus Films’ Flow boasted $25,382 per cinema in limited release (two venues). Now, Chu’s magical musical and Gladiator II should both continue to thrive over the Thanksgiving weekend, but Moana 2 joins the fun on Wednesday, Nov. 27, and it is predicted to win the five-day holiday box office with over $100 million.
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2024-11-25 03:03