The pre-Thanksgiving box office is buzzing with excitement, as Universal's musical ‘Wicked’ and Paramount's ‘Gladiator II’ — dubbed by some as Glicked (in reference to the 2023 global Barbenheimer cultural phenomenon) — are poised for a standout weekend.

Early projections suggest ‘Wicked’ is on track for an impressive $117 million domestic debut — slightly below the earlier estimate of $120 million, but still a historic achievement for a film adapted from a Broadway musical. This opening ranks among the largest ever for a musical on the big screen. On a global scale, ‘Wicked’ is expected to bring in $165 million in its first weekend.

Meanwhile, ‘Gladiator II’ is eyeing a solid domestic opening of $60 million, with international markets expected to boost the film’s performance significantly. The combined domestic box office from all films is expected to reach around $200 million this weekend, representing a 70% increase over the same period last year, when ‘Napoleon’ (another Ridley Scott film) and ‘Wish’ were the main holiday releases.

READ: AMC Theatres Warns ‘Wicked’ Fans About “No Singing” Policy During Screenings

There’s been plenty of social media chatter about whether ‘Gladiator II’ and ‘Wicked’ could mirror the success of Barbenheimer by drawing both male and female audiences in droves. While they won’t match the towering domestic openings of ‘Barbie’ ($162 million) and ‘Oppenheimer’ ($82.5 million), the two films are still performing strongly across various demographics.

The competition will heat up even more when Disney’s ‘Moana 2’ hits theaters on November 27. With these three films leading the charge, this year’s Thanksgiving weekend is shaping up to be the most lucrative five-day holiday period in domestic box office history.

‘Wicked’ is directed by Jon M. Chu, has been highly praised by fans and critics, holding at 89% from 251 Rotten Tomatoes critics and a staggering 98% from over 5000 verified audience reviewers. The film features a star-studded cast, including Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.

Universal has taken a significant risk by splitting ‘Wicked’ into two films, with the second part scheduled to release next year. The first installment had a production budget of $150 million, excluding marketing costs.

Adapted from Gregory Maguire’s bestselling novel, ‘Wicked’ offers a fresh perspective on the witches of Oz, with Erivo playing Elphaba and Grande as Glinda. The screenplay was co-written by Winnie Holzman, who also wrote the book for the stage musical, and Dana Fox. Stephen Schwartz, the Oscar-winning composer and lyricist, adapted the musical’s score for the big screen.

On the other side, Ridley Scott’s ‘Gladiator II,’ made on a $250 million budget, is the top choice for male viewers, both young and old. The film, which earned a B on CinemaScore, arrives 24 years after the original and stars Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, and Fred Hechinger.

READ: ‘Gladiator II’ Trailer Hits 180 Million Views, Among Paramount’s Most Viewed… And Most Disliked

With these two major releases, the box office is poised for an exciting holiday season.

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