Earlier this week, I predicted that the Glicked phenomenon would pay off handsomely at the box office. That seems to be the case, with Deadline reporting that Wicked is on its way to a $120 million opening, which is exactly the number I pegged it as coming in at. Gladiator II is doing a bit better than I thought it would, with it on track for a $61 million opening, more than the $50 million I called.
The $61 million bow for Gladiator II would mark Ridley Scott’s best stateside opening ever, ahead of the $58 million made by Hannibal back in 2001 (a massive opening if adjusted for inflation). It would also mark Denzel Washington’s best stateside debut, ahead of American Gangster (also with Ridley Scott), which made $43 million on its first weekend. The CinemaScore rating for Wicked is superb, with it scoring an A, while Gladiator II’s is a more disappointing (but not disastrous) B.
Last week’s champ, Red One, which opened pretty soft for a Dwayne Johnson movie, will likely score a third-place finish with $13.5 million, which would be a steep 58% decline. Fourth place is a bit of a surprise, with Angel Studios having a bit of a sleeper hit with their historical drama Bonhoeffer. Pastor. Spy. Assassin, which should make just under $5 million for the weekend. Venom: The Last Dance should slip to fifth place with a $4 million weekend and a $133 million domestic total.
Of course, all those numbers could change today. Wicked could soar even higher, given that it’s targeting a family audience, who will turn out in droves at the matinees. Both movies seem well positioned to rake in high grosses at the Thanksgiving box office next weekend, which is especially important for Gladiator II given its big budget (although it will likely make a mint overseas).
Are you planning on seeing either Wicked or Gladiator this weekend? Let us know in the comments!
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