Wicked slays Gladiator II in ticket sales duel as new films boost box office

Combined $270m of worldwide ticket sales for Ridley Scott and Jon Chu movies leads to one of 2024’s busiest weekends

With a combined $270m in worldwide ticket sales, Wicked and Gladiator II breathed fresh life into a box office that has struggled lately, leading to one of the busiest moviegoing weekends of the year.

Jon M Chu’s lavish big-budget musical Wicked, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, debuted with $114m domestically and $164.2m globally for Universal Pictures, according to studio estimates on Sunday. That made it the third-biggest opening weekend of the year, behind only Deadpool & Wolverine and Inside Out 2. It’s also a record for a Broadway musical adaptation.

Wicked, $114m.

Gladiator II, $55.5m.

Red One, $13.3m.

Bonhoeffer: Pastor Spy Assassin, $5.1m.

Venom: The Last Dance, $4m.