{"id":129721,"date":"2024-11-25T00:44:55","date_gmt":"2024-11-24T17:44:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=129721"},"modified":"2024-11-25T00:44:55","modified_gmt":"2024-11-24T17:44:55","slug":"wicked-shatters-box-office-expectations-gladiator-2-starts-strong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=129721","title":{"rendered":"Wicked Shatters Box Office Expectations, Gladiator 2 Starts Strong"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tIf you care to find \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/t\/wicked\/\" id=\"auto-tag_wicked\" data-tag=\"wicked\">Wicked<\/a>,\u201d look to the top of box office charts. Universal\u2019s adaptation of Act One (with some padding) of the popular Broadway musical was No. 1 in North America with $114 million from 3,888 theaters over the weekend.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tThose dazzling ticket sales rank as the third biggest domestic debut of the year behind \u201cDeadpool &amp; Wolverine\u201d ($211 million) and \u201cInside Out 2\u201d ($154 million). Among other benchmarks, \u201cWicked\u201d landed the fourth-biggest start in history for a musical, ahead of Disney\u2019s recent \u201cThe Little Mermaid\u201d remake ($95.5 million) and behind \u201cFrozen II\u201d ($130 million), as well as the best opening (by far) for a Broadway adaptation, overtaking the record held by 2014\u2019s \u201cInto the Woods\u201d ($31 million).<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cWicked\u201d collected an additional $50.2 million at the international box office, bringing its global tally to $164.2 million. It marks the biggest worldwide opening for a film based on a Broadway show, supplanting another Universal musical, \u201cLes Miserables,\u201d with $103 million in 2012.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s a juggernaut,\u201d says David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. \u201cAudiences are making the singing and costume experience their own.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tWhile \u201cWicked\u201d was courting women (nearly 75% of ticket buyers) and families, men turned out in force for Paramount\u2019s R-rated \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/t\/gladiator-ii\/\" id=\"auto-tag_gladiator-ii\" data-tag=\"gladiator-ii\">Gladiator II<\/a>,\u201d the quarter-century-in-the-making sequel from director Ridley Scott. The bloody sword-and-sandal epic opened solidly in second place (though behind expectations) with $55.5 million from 3,573 cinemas over the weekend. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tIt\u2019s unclear whether \u201cWicked\u201d and \u201cGladiator II\u201d fueled each other, \u00e0 la \u201cBarbenheimer,\u201d an unexpected 2023 phenomenon in which tens of thousands of moviegoers opted for back-to-back screenings rather than choosing between Greta Gerwig\u2019s \u201cBarbie\u201d and Christopher Nolan\u2019s \u201cOppenheimer\u201d \u2014 or if \u201cGlicked\u201d is just an effective case of counterprogramming. Either way, this weekend was one of the biggest of the year with approximately $210 million in overall revenues. And boon times at the box office will continue through Thanksgiving as Disney\u2019s \u201cMoana 2\u201d swims to theaters on Nov. 27. However, year-to-date ticket sales remain 10.5% behind 2023 and 26.6% behind 2019, according to Comscore. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cOnce again, it\u2019s clear that when healthy competition meets premium experiences, the marketplace thrives, and consumers win,\u201d says Michael O\u2019Leary, president and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners, the exhibition industry\u2019s trade organization. \u201cThis is a tremendous catalyst for a strong box office going into December and the new year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cWicked,\u201d directed by Jon M. Chu and starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, landed in theaters after more than a decade in development and a promotional push (including 400 brand partnerships) that rivaled the ubiquity of \u201cBarbie.\u201d Universal needed the song-and-dance film to strike a chord with moviegoers because \u201cWicked: Part Two,\u201d which chronicles the musical\u2019s second act, arrives on the big screen in 2025. The two films cost a combined $300 million to produce, not including the mega marketing budget. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tDespite the enduring popularity of \u201cWicked\u201d on stage, the box office success is something of a cinematic anomaly because musical adaptations haven\u2019t translated on screen in over a decade, since 2012\u2019s \u201cLes Miserables\u201d ($442 million globally) and 2014\u2019s \u201cInto the Woods\u201d ($212 million globally against a $50 million budget). More recent attempts like Steven Spielberg\u2019s \u201cWest Side Story\u201d remake, Chu\u2019s \u201cIn the Heights,\u201d \u201cDear Evan Hansen,\u201d \u201cCats\u201d and \u201cThe Color Purple\u201d hit the wrong notes for various reasons despite being based on popular productions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tCritics and audiences were charmed by \u201cWicked,\u201d which boasts such Broadway classics as \u201cDefying Gravity\u201d and \u201cPopular\u201d and recounts everything that happens before Dorothy lands in Oz and saunters down that iconic Yellow Brick Road. The story takes place before, during and after \u201cThe Wizard of Oz\u201d and charts the unlikely friendship of the green-skinned Elphaba (later known as the Wicked Witch of the West) and the perky, pink-loving Glinda (eventually dubbed Glinda the Good). The 2-hour, 40-minute movie (for reference, the entire Broadway show is 2 hours and 45 minutes) landed an \u201cA\u201d grade on CinemaScore and sterling 90% average on Rotten Tomatoes. Critical raves, positive word-of-mouth and the musical\u2019s infectiously catchy soundtrack is expected to drive repeat business throughout the Thanksgiving holiday and into December.<strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201c\u2018Wicked\u2019 has become a phenomenon and demands to be seen on the big screen,\u201d says Universal\u2019s president of domestic distribution Jim Orr. \u201cIt\u2019s very gratifying to see that no matter which age group or demographic you look at, audience scores are enthusiastic. We\u2019ll have a phenomenal run into the new year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cGladiator II\u201d also carries a massive budget \u2014 more than $250 million to produce and roughly $100 million to promote \u2014 and requires outsized global returns to be deemed a success. So far, the muscular sequel is far bigger internationally and has generated $221 million at the worldwide box office.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tPaul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington star in the tentpole, which picks up around two decades after the first film as Lucius (Mescal), the nephew of Joaquin Phoenix\u2019s emperor Commodus and son of Connie Nielsen\u2019s Nielsen, enters the Colosseum and seeks to return the glory of Rome to its people. Reactions aren\u2019t as positive as the original, an Oscar-best picture winner that stood as one of the highest grossing movies of 2000 with $465 million globally, though reviews and audience scores have been mostly positive. It notched a \u201cB\u201d grade on CinemaScore and 71% on Rotten Tomatoes. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201c[Legacy] sequels enjoy built-in awareness and interest, but they need a creative reason to exist or audiences will reject them,\u201d Gross says. \u201cCritics\u2019 reviews and audience scores are not on the level of the first movie [but] business is still excellent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tWith \u201cWicked\u201d and \u201cGladiator II\u201d taking up most of the country\u2019s auditoriums, the other movies in theaters had to settle for scraps. Another newcomer, World War II-set historical thriller \u201cBonhoeffer. Pastor. Spy. Assassin,\u201d opened in fourth place with a muted $5.1 million from 1,900 locations. Angel Studios, the company behind last year\u2019s sleeper hit \u201cSound of Freedom,\u201d backed the film about a devout Christian who plotted to kill Hitler.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tElsewhere at the domestic box office, \u201cRed One,\u201d a Christmas-set action comedy starring Dwayne \u201cThe Rock\u201d Johnson as Santa\u2019s head of security, dropped to No. 3 with $13.3 million from 4,032 screens, a steep 59% decline from its debut. The movie, from Amazon MGM, cost $250 million and has grossed just $52 million domestically and $117.1 million worldwide to date.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tSony\u2019s \u201cVenom: The Last Dance\u201d rounded out the top five with $4 million from 2,558 locations. After five weekends on the big screen, the alien symbiote sequel starring Tom Hardy has grossed $133 million in North America and $456 million globally.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2024\/film\/box-office\/box-office-wicked-shatters-expectations-gladiator-2-starts-strong-1236221979\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you care to find \u201cWicked,\u201d look to the top of box office charts. Universal\u2019s adaptation of Act One (with some padding) of the popular Broadway musical was No. 1 &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=129721\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-129721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-entertainment","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=129721"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129721\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=129721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=129721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=129721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}