2 weeks Ago By Natalie
share 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Over the past weekend, the box office experienced a significant surge, propelled by the release of two highly anticipated films, Wicked and Gladiator II . Together, these movies amassed a remarkable US$270.2 million globally, signaling a robust start to what could be a record-setting holiday season.
Wicked , the musical adaptation based on a Broadway prequel to The Wizard of Oz , not only topped both the domestic and global charts but also set a new record for the biggest opening weekend for a film based on a Broadway musical. It garnered US$114 million domestically and US$50.2 million internationally, culminating in a global total of US$164.
2 million. This performance surpassed previous records set by Universal’s 2012 release Les Misérables . Directed by Jon M.
Chu and starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, Wicked drew considerable attention, with about 72% of its audience being female. The film received glowing reviews and an A CinemaScore from audiences, enhancing its prospects for a successful theatrical run. In a strategic move, producers have already filmed a second part of Wicked , scheduled for release in November of the following year, with each instalment costing around US$150 million to produce.
Advertisement ▼ On the other hand, Gladiator II , directed by Ridley Scott and featuring Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal, and Pedro Pascal, opened with US$55.5 million domestically and added US$50.5 million from international markets.
Although it started slightly below the expected US$60 million in domestic sales, the sequel to the 2000 Best Picture winner still pulled in a commendable US$106 million globally in its opening weekend. Currently, Gladiator II has an overall box office tally of US$221 million. This sequel was a significant gamble for Paramount Pictures, given its US$250 million production budget.
Despite less catchy marketing compared to previous pairings like Barbie and Oppenheimer , the films’ distinct appeal drew a broad audience. Gladiator II attracted mainly male viewers, comprising 61% of its audience, and received a B CinemaScore , while Wicked drew in mainly female viewers comprising 72% of its audience. The success of these films comes as a vital boost to cinemas, especially after a year marked by about a 10.
6% drop in year-to-date domestic ticket sales, accumulating only US$7.3 billion. This downturn reflects the challenges faced by the industry as more audiences shift towards streaming platforms.
As the holiday season approaches, with Moana 2 set to release shortly, Hollywood is optimistic about achieving historic sales. Analysts are predicting that ticket sales from Thanksgiving through the end of the year could surpass the holiday season record of US$2.5 billion set in 2017, spearheaded by Star Wars: The Last Jedi .
This weekend’s results have offered a much-needed reassurance to the industry, with Paul Dergarabedian , a media analyst for Comscore, stating, “This is the best possible news for movie theaters, this lineup of films, starting with Glicked and Moana 2 .” As studios and theaters look forward to a potentially historic close to the year, the success of Wicked and Gladiator II may just be the beginning of a lucrative season. Natalie Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, games, and comics — you name it.
When she’s not reading or geeking out about the latest shows on Netflix, she’s probably playing gacha and tabletop games, or daydreaming of meeting her idols. box office gladiator II global box office wicked First time this has happened in cinema history. Everyone deserves a chance to fly, and Wicked certainly does.
Are you not entertained? Maybe not as much as before, but entertained nonetheless..
