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The Wicked & The Damned

It was no #Barbenheimer, but if the moviegoing trends of Thanksgivings past are prologue, Wicked: Part One and Gladiator II will have strong second weekends behind a strategic post-holiday push.

wicked movie
To the extent that each film cannibalized the other—Wicked: Part One played 72 percent female while Gladiator II skewed 61 percent male—both pictures will likely overcome their openings and keep earning well into the holiday season. Photo: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Scott Mendelson
November 26, 2024

No, #Wickiator didn’t happen: The head-to-head matchup between Gladiator II and Wicked: Part One did not result in the second coming of #Barbenheimer. There were scant reports of folks seeing both films as a singular event, donning togas and green face paint, nor is there much evidence that either film’s debut benefited the other. Considering the Universal musical and the Paramount action sequel opened slightly below best-case prerelease tracking projections, I’m inclined to argue that they both lost a little money on opening weekend due to… well, one another.