Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande play Elphaba and Glinda in Universal's Wicked.
Universal
The box office was a popular destination this weekend Universals “Evil” and Paramounts “Gladiator II” was released in theaters.
According to estimates Sunday, “Wicked” is expected to gross $114 million in its domestic premiere, the highest debut for a Broadway adaptation in cinema history. The film is expected to gross $164.2 million worldwide.
Guidance for “Wicked” started at around $80 million in late October but increased to a range of $120 million to $140 million. Hollywood has had difficulty marketing and making a profit on movie musicals in recent years. However, the industry has also seen fan-favorite IP-driven titles achieve above-average success. Because “Wicked” is based on one of Broadway's most popular musicals, it was difficult for box office analysts to predict where the film would land.
However, the film will have the third-highest domestic box office of 2024, grossing $114 million Disney and Marvel's “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which grossed $211 million in July, and Disney and Pixar's “Inside Out 2,” which grossed $151 million in June.
Estimates as of Sunday put “Gladiator II” on track to open domestically with $55.5 million in ticket sales. This is below box office expectations, which expected it to gross between $60 and $80 million. Worldwide, the film is expected to gross $221 million by the end of the weekend after opening in international locations earlier this month.
“Arguably the most talked-about weekend of 2024, this $200 million-plus pre-Thanksgiving film delivered big with the one-two punch of 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II,' providing a perfectly crafted, irresistible moviegoing combination “Delivered appeal to audiences of every demographic on the planet,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.
Although “Glicked” didn't quite reach the level of last year's “Barbenheimer,” the combination of Universal's “Oppenheimer” and Warner Bros.' This weekend's “Barbie” tally will help boost annual box office totals, which are about 11% behind 2023 levels over the same period. Both films are expected to continue to drive ticket sales in theaters through Thanksgiving and Christmas.
“It's clear once again that when healthy competition meets world-class experiences, the market thrives and consumers win,” said Michael O'Leary, president and CEO of the National Association of Theater Owners. “The success of films like 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II', not to mention the strong advance sales of 'Moana 2', shows how much film fans of all ages enjoy going to the cinema.”
Disney's “Moana 2” is expected to gross $100 million over the five-day Thanksgiving period, according to box office analysts.
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC. NBCUniversal is the distributor of “Wicked” and “Oppenheimer.”
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