The eagerly awaited Wickediator weekend has finally arrived, coinciding with the debut of Part One of Jon M. Chu’s Broadway adaptation on the 2024 movie calendar, which launched alongside Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II.
The enchanting musical Wicked took center stage and shattered several records in the process, easily outpacing its competition from ancient Rome with an impressive $114 million in ticket sales over its first three days. While the earnings for Paul Mescal’s epic film were noteworthy—totaling $55.5 million domestically—it amassed comparisons to the sweeping success of the film. Together, both of the two films contributed significantly to one of the year’s most profitable weekends, amassing a staggering total of $205 million in revenue.
The highly anticipated musical featuring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo was poised to attract audiences, whether or not they were familiar with the original book or the Broadway show.
Wicked had a strong opening night, and the numbers lived up to expectations. The estimated earnings from the three-day weekend represented the highest pre-Thanksgiving box office totals since the pandemic began. With an impressive $205 million in ticket sales, the weekend’s performance was comparable to 2019, when Frozen 2 led the charts with $204.9 million. According to Deadline, this weekend also marked the best showing since 2013, when The Hunger Games: Catching Fire topped the box office with a remarkable $226.5 million.
Discussions of the Film’s Success
There had been many critics have praised this adaptation for its remarkable achievements, with our own Riley Utley awarding Wicked a flawless 5-star review. It appears that the film is indeed living up to its excitement, as it has now set a new record for the most successful domestic opening for a Broadway adaptation, according to Variety. Its impressive $114 million in earnings outperformed Into the Woods, which garnered $31 million during its opening weekend in 2014.
The release of Gladiator II coincided with that of Wicked, and together, these two cinematic giants dominated the box office. Their impressive combined earnings of $169.5 million accounted for a staggering 83 percent of the total domestic ticket sales, which reached $205 million. Despite this remarkable performance, their opening weekend didn’t quite measure up to the phenomenal success of last summer’s Barbenheimer, which debuted with a remarkable $235.5 million in combined revenue.
Wicked achieved remarkable success right from the start, garnering a staggering $164.2 million globally in its opening week. This impressive figure not only secured a record for Broadway adaptations but also surpassed the previous high set by Les Miserables, which earned $103 million worldwide during its opening weekend in 2012.In addition to its record-breaking status. However now it’s being brought to the attention that the film will now stands as the fourth highest-grossing musical debut of all time, ranking between Frozen II, which amassed $130 million in 2019, and the Halle Bailey-led The Little Mermaid, which brought in $95.5 million in 2023.
Overall, the film release marked the third-largest box office opening of the year, trailing only behind Deadpool & Wolverine and Inside Out 2.
