Musical adaptation ‘Wicked’ and the action epic ‘Gladiator II’ generated a combined $25.7 million from early screenings in the U.S. and Canada, setting off the biggest box-office battle since ‘Barbenheimer’.
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The first of two Universal Pictures movies based on the beloved Broadway musical ‘Wicked’ racked up $19.2 million from shows on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, according to studio data released on Friday.
‘Gladiator II’, the Paramount Pictures sequel to a best-picture winner two decades ago, brought in $6.5 million on its opening day on Thursday.
The sales for what some have dubbed ‘Glicked’ put the movies on pace to fall just behind the ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ face-off in July 2023.
Combined domestic sales for ‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator II’ are projected to soar as high as $215 million through Sunday. ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ pulled in nearly $245 million combined at domestic theatres during their opening weekend.
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The fervour for this weekend’s films is a positive sign for theatre chains such as AMC Entertainment, Cineplex and Cinemark. Movie ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada have hovered below pre-pandemic levels as cinemas grapple with competition from streaming and disruptions from Hollywood strikes.
‘Wicked’ is based on a long-running Broadway musical that tells the story of a green-skinned student of magic who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. Starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, the movie is projected to lead the domestic box office for the weekend with between $120 million and $140 million in sales.
“It’s wrapped in a fairy tale, but the point of it is to dig at real truth,” director Jon M. Chu told Reuters at the film’s premiere in London when asked about the story’s broad appeal.
Universal, a unit of Comcast, spent roughly $160 million to make the first ‘Wicked’ movie, a sum that does not include tens of millions more for marketing from a Super Bowl ad to hundreds of ‘Wicked’ products.
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In a campaign reminiscent of the hoopla surrounding ‘Barbie’, the ‘Wicked’ tie-ins include drinks at Starbucks, a fashion line at Target and a Betty Crocker cupcake mix. Brown shopping bags at Bloomingdale’s department stores were replaced with pink and green.
Given the popularity of the ‘Wicked’ stage show and the top-tier stars in the movie, “it is not a surprise that it is becoming such a big phenomenon off-screen,” said Maura Regan, president of the industry group Licensing International.
The second ‘Wicked’ film is scheduled for release in November 2025.
‘Gladiator II’ stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington as warriors in ancient Rome in a story set 16 years after the original film.
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