As hard as Paramount, Universal, and fandoms at large tried to turn Wicked and Gladiator II’s shared opening weekend into a Barbenheimer-esque event, there was no denying that these two titles did not mash up nearly as well.

Universal’s Wicked achieved strong domestic box office success, setting records as the largest 2024 opening for a non-sequel film. It also reached key milestones for a Broadway musical adaptation. The film performed well globally,

Wicked” and “Gladiator II” have debuted in theaters with a combined $270 million in ticket sales. Their worldwide performance breathed fresh life into global box office results that have struggled lately.