2 weeks Ago
This weekend, Elphaba and Glinda from “Wicked” took on ancient Romans in “Gladiator II” in a battle for the top spot at the box office. Ahead of Thanksgiving Day weekend, fans flocked to the theaters to see “Wicked” and “Gladiator II,” two of the most highly-anticipated films of the year. The release of both movies on Nov.
22 led to the "Glicked" double feature phenomenon and was predicted to be a sequel to " " — when “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” hit theaters on the same day in July 2023. The arrival of “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” did not disappoint. The two cinematic events dominated the box office with impressive numbers.
But "Wicked" came out on top. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s Broadway spectacle adapted for the big screen won the weekend as “Wicked” opened with around $114 million at the domestic box office, reported. That number makes the movie the biggest debut ever for a Broadway adaptation.
It also marks the third-highest opening weekend this year, behind “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Inside Out 2.” (Universal Pictures and TODAY.com share a parent company, Comcast.
) “Gladiator II” also gave the box office a boost this weekend, landing in second with $55.5 million, CNBC reported. Twenty-four years after Ridley Scott’s Oscar-winning movie hit theaters, the acclaimed director returned for a sequel led by Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn.
Theaters were hoping to recapture the magic — and numbers — that "Barbenheimer" brought to the box office in July 2023. But, they didn’t quite reach the $182 million and $80.5 million “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” respectively, brought in.
Not only did the two blockbusters attract audiences to the theaters last year, they were also at the center of awards season. “Oppenheimer” ended up winning many of the top awards at the 2024 Oscars, including best picture, best director for Christopher Nolan, best actor for Cillian Murphy and best supporting actor for Robert Downey Jr. “Barbie” received multiple nominations but only Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell picked up an Academy Award, winning best original song for “What Was I Made For?” Although the 2025 Oscars aren’t until March 2, predicts that “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” could receive multiple nominations.
Ariana Brockington is a trending news reporter at TODAY digital. She is based in Los Angeles..
