Wicked Box Office Predictions Double Gladiator II’s Opening Weekend Estimate
The are in, and early returns for the movie point to a massive success for the musical adaptation starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
According to early predictions (via Deadline) for the film, Wicked is projected to open at $120 million. This comes after the film earned $19.2 million in previews on Thursday and throughout special screenings last week.
When combined with projected numbers for the rest of the weekend, Wicked is poised to double the projected opening weekend of Ridley Scott‘s Gladiator II, which is set to earn an impressive $61 million in its opening weekend.
Should those numbers hold, Wicked would rank in the top 10 of biggest openings ever at the domestic box office in November. The film could also challenge the record for biggest opening for a movie based on a Broadway musical, which is currently held by Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods ($31m). Wicked will also slot into the third biggest opening of 2024 if the numbers remain what they are.
The Wicked movies are directed by Jon M. Chu from a screenplay written by the musical’s book writer Winnie Holzman. It is based on Gregory Maguire’s bestselling novel and the Tony-winning stage musical.
The ensemble cast is led by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, who play Galinda Upland and Elphaba Thropp in the film, respectively. The rest of the cast includes Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero Tigelaar, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz, Peter Dinklage as Doctor Dillamond, Bowen Yang as Pfannee, Keala Settle as Miss Coddle, Marissa Bode as Nessarose Thropp, Bronwyn James as ShenShen, Ethan Slater as Boq, and more.
“The film tells the untold story of the witches of Oz: Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power; and Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart,” reads the official synopsis. “The two meet as students at Shiz University in the
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