'Wicked' soars with $114 million domestic opening, 'Gladiator' snares $55.5 million

The box office was a popular destination this weekend as Universal's "Wicked" and Paramount's "Gladiator II" arrived in cinemas.

"Wicked" is expected to snare $114 million during its domestic opening, the highest debut of a Broadway adaptation in cinematic history, according to Sunday estimates. Globally the film is set to take in $164.2 million.

Tracking projections for "Wicked" started around $80 million in late October, but rose to a range of $120 million to $140 million. Hollywood has struggled to market and make a profit on movie musicals in recent years. However, the industry has also seen fan-favorite IP-driven titles outperform. With "Wicked" being based on one of Broadway's most popular musicals, box-office analysts found it tricky to predict where it would land.

However, at its $114 million tally, the film will earn the third-highest domestic opening of 2024 behind Disney and Marvel's "Deadpool & Wolverine," which took in $211 million in July, and Disney and Pixar's "Inside Out 2," which grabbed $151 million in June.

Meanwhile, "Gladiator II" is expected to open with $55.5 million in ticket sales domestically, according to Sunday estimates. This is lower than box office expectations, which called for a haul between $60 million and $80 million. Globally, the film is set to reach $221 million by the end of the weekend, after opening in international locations earlier this month.

"As arguably the most talked about weekend of 2024, this $200 million plus pre-Thanksgiving frame has delivered big with the one-two punch of 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' serving up a perfectly orchestrated, irresistible moviegoing combination with appeal to basically every demographic on the planet," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.

Although "Glicked" did not quite reach the same level as last year's "Barbenheimer," the combo of Universal's "Oppenheimer" and Warner Bros.' "Barbie," this weekend's tally will help bolster the overall annual box office, which lags around 11% behind 2023 levels during the same period. Both films are expected to continue to drive ticket sales at theaters through Thanksgiving and Christmas.

"Once again, it's clear that when healthy competition meets premium experiences, the marketplace thrives, and consumers win," said Michael O'Leary, president and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners. " The success of movies like 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II,' not to mention hearty presales already for 'Moana 2,' demonstrates just how much movie fans of all ages enjoy going to the movies."

Disney's "Moana 2" is expected to haul in $100 million over the five-day Thanksgiving period, according to box office analysts.

Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC. NBCUniversal is the distributor of "Wicked" and "Oppenheimer."