Topline
“Wicked” is expected to bring in $114 million in U.S. ticket sales in its opening weekend ending Sunday, according to Universal Pictures—the biggest-ever opening weekend for a film based on a Broadway musical.
Key Facts
“Wicked,” based on a Broadway prequel to “The Wizard of Oz” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, is expected to gross $164.2 million globally, topping the debut weekend of the Broadway-adapted film, “Les Miserables,” in 2012.
The $114 million in domestic ticket sales from Friday to Sunday makes the movie the third-biggest opening weekend of the year, following Disney and Marvel’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” ($211 million) and Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” ($151 million).
Paramount Pictures’ “Gladiator II” is expected to close out the weekend with $55.5 million in domestic ticket sales and $50.5 million internationally, for a global total of $221 million, as the film opened overseas last weekend, the production house said.
Key Background
The opening weekend of “Wicked” and “Gladiator II,” referred to in the industry as “Glicked,” significantly bolsters U.S. movie ticket sales for 2024, which were behind last year’s figures for the same time period by about 11%, CNBC reported. U.S. ticket sales totaled about $200 million this weekend. With the opening of “Moana 2” on Nov. 27, ticket sales this week are expected to break records for movie revenue during the five-day Thanksgiving holiday, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Box office sales have struggled to rebound to pre-pandemic levels in recent years, amid a shift to streaming services and disruption from writers’ and actors’ strikes last year.
‘Wicked’ soars with $114 million domestic opening, ‘Gladiator’ snares $55.5 million (CNBC)
‘Wicked,’ ‘Gladiator II’ bring in $169.5 million in domestic box office (Reuters)
Box Office Gets Glicked: ‘Wicked’ Opens to $114M, ‘Gladiator II’ Conquers $55.5M (Hollywood Reporter)
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