Universal’s “Wicked” is expected to gross $114 million domestically, according to estimates Sunday, which would make it the highest-grossing opening ever for a Broadway film. Paramount Pictures’ “Gladiator II” is expected to open with $55.5 million in domestic ticket sales, according to estimates Sunday. Although “Glicked” did not reach the same level as last year’s “Barbenheimer,” this weekend’s tally will help boost overall annual box office receipts, which are about 11% behind 2023 levels during the same period. Probably.
Universal’s “Wicked” and Paramount’s “Gladiator II” hit theaters this weekend, making them popular box office destinations.
According to estimates Sunday, “Wicked” is expected to gross $114 million in domestic release, making it the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation in film history. The film is expected to gross $164.2 million worldwide.
Tracking projections for “Wicked” started at about $80 million in late October, but have risen to the $120 million to $140 million range. Hollywood has struggled in recent years to market and turn a profit from musical films. However, the industry sometimes outperforms fan-favorite IP-driven titles. Because “Wicked” is based on one of Broadway’s most popular musicals, box office analysts thought it would be difficult to predict where it would land.
But with a total of $114 million, the film is ahead of Disney and Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine, which earned $211 million in July, and Disney and Pixar, which earned $211 million at the box office in 2024. It will have the third highest opening score in Japan in 2024, following “Inside Head 2”. $151 million in June.
Meanwhile, “Gladiator II” is expected to open with $55.5 million in domestic ticket sales, according to estimates Sunday. This was below expectations, which had called for a box office gross of $60 million to $80 million. The film is on track to reach $221 million worldwide by the end of the week after opening overseas earlier this month.
“Perhaps the most talked-about weekend of 2024, this $200 million plus pre-Thanksgiving slot was a huge success with the one-two punch of Wicked and Gladiator II, a perfectly tailored, glamorous “It offered a unique combination of movie-going experiences and appealed to audiences from basically every demographic on the planet,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at ComScore.
“Glicked” didn’t reach the same level as last year’s “Barbenheimer,” but the combination of Universal’s “Oppenheimer” and Warner Bros.’ “Barbie” tally this weekend compared to the same period in 2023. This will likely lead to a boost in overall annual box office revenue, which has lagged by about 11%. Both films are expected to continue to drive ticket sales in theaters from Thanksgiving through Christmas.
“When healthy competition meets a premium experience, it’s clear that markets thrive and consumers win,” said Michael O’Leary, president and CEO of the National Association of Theater Owners. said. “The success of films like “Wicked” and “Gladiator II,” not to mention the already strong advance sales for “Moana 2,” shows how much moviegoers of all ages enjoy watching movies. ”
Disney’s “Moana 2” is expected to gross $100 million during the five-day Thanksgiving period, box office analysts say.
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC. NBCUniversal is the distributor of “Wicked” and “Oppenheimer.”
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