'Wicked' soars with $114 million domestic opening, 'Gladiator' snares $55.5 million

The box office was a popular destination this weekend as Universal's "Wicked" and Paramount's "Gladiator II" arrived in cinemas.

"Wicked" is expected to snare $114 million during its domestic opening, the highest debut of a Broadway adaptation in cinematic history, according to Sunday estimates. Globally the film is set to take in $164.2 million.

Tracking projections for "Wicked" started around $80 million in late October, but rose to a range of $120 million to $140 million. Hollywood has struggled to market and make a profit on movie musicals in recent years. However, the industry has also seen fan-favorite IP-driven titles outperform. With "Wicked" being based on one of Broadway's most popular musicals, box-office analysts found it tricky to predict where it would land.

However, at its $114 million tally, the film will earn the third-highest domestic opening of 2024 behind Disney and Marvel's "Deadpool & Wolverine," which took in $211 million in July, and Disney and Pixar's "Inside Out 2," which grabbed $151 million in June.

Meanwhile, "Gladiator II" is expected to open with $55.5 million in ticket sales domestically, according to Sunday estimates. This is lower than box office expectations, which called for a haul between $60 million and $80 million. Globally, the film is set to reach $221 million by the end of the weekend, after opening in international locations earlier this month.

"As arguably the most talked about weekend of 2024, this $200 million plus pre-Thanksgiving frame has delivered big with the one-two punch of 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' serving up a perfectly orchestrated, irresistible moviegoing combination with appeal to basically every demographic on the planet," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media