The New York Times asks, is “Glicked” the new “Barbenheimer”? Possibly, but with slightly less buzz. Either way, there’s a box office battle brewing between Universal’s musical and Paramount’s sword-and-sandal epic, both of which open on Friday, November 22.
THR is reporting that “Wicked” is expected to lead with a huge $100M-$110M debut, from 3,880 theaters. The marketing campaign — save for the porn mishap — has been great for the musical. A stellar Rotten Tomatoes rating (96%) will help accentuate ticket sales, and according to independent trackers, a $130M debut is definitely not out of the question. “Wicked” has a budget of $150M.
Set to debut at #2 over the weekend is Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II,” an R-rated sequel that is aiming to collect $65M from 3,500 cinemas. The film opened a week earlier overseas, and has already amassed $100M internationally — the biggest R-rated opening weekend overseas for Paramount Pictures. The film cost $250M to produce, and an additional $100M to market.
The box office will continue to ignite as only five days after “Glicked” is unveiled theatrically, Disney’s “Moana 2” will be released in 4500+ theaters — it’s currently projected to have a 5-day opening of $130M-$150M.