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WICKED painted the boxoffice bright green, pumping holiday life into the multiplexes after a cold bleak autumn.

WICKED’s $114M opening left no doubt that theatrical exhibition is far from dead — sorry, Wall Street — and that audiences still love the experience of enjoying event movies on the big screen with family or friends and tubs of hot buttered popcorn. Driven by Universal’s outstanding marketing team, WICKED’s done $164.2M worldwide, per Comscore.

Adding to the pre-Thanksgiving weekend’s boxoffice glitter was the $55.5M launch of GLADIATOR II, which brought in a mostly male audience vs. WICKED’s largely female appeal. This healthy boxoffice buffet got the holiday season off to a promising start towards generating the roughly $2B in grosses through 12/31 needed to equal 2023’s $8.95B cume. 

Universal/Marc Platt Productions’ PG fantasy musical romance WICKED easily captured first place with $114M at 3,888 theatres ($29,321), in line with Hollywood handicappers’ expectations. Directed by Jon Chu (CRAZY RICH ASIANS), it reportedly cost $150M to produce. It’s part one of a two part package that will see episode two — also budgeted at $150M — hit theatres for Thanksgiving 2025.

WICKED is tracking best for first choice with under 25 women (22 points over norm) and next best with women over 25 (18 points over norm). Rotten Tomatoes critics are great at 90% and audiences are cheering at 97%.

Paramount/Scott Free Productions’ R rated historical action adventure GLADIATOR II opened a powerful #2 to $55.5M at 3,573 theatres ($15,533). Analysts were buzzing about a $60M launch earlier in the weekend, but this is close enough to celebrate. Directed by Ridley Scott (GLADIATOR), it reportedly cost $250M to produce and has done $221M worldwide.

G2’s tracking best for first choice with men over 25 (17 points over norm) with other demos not coming close to that. Rotten Tomatoes critics are a blah 71%, but audiences are happier at 84%.

This weekend’s domestic marketplace totaled $205.2M, per Comscore Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian, up 180.2% from the prior weekend and up  77% vs. this time last year. Comscore’s year to date tally has 2024 at $7.31B, down 10.7% from $8.18B in 2023. The previous weekend in 2024 was down 11.1% vs. 2023.

Meanwhile, back at the multiplexes: Amazon/MGM’s PG-13 action adventure comedy RED ONE was #3 in weekend two with $13.3M (-59%) at 4,032 theatres ($3,295), per Comscore. It’s done $52.9M domestic.

Next weekend (11/29): Thanksgiving Weekend will Disney’s PG animated comedy adventure MOANA 2 sail into about 4,100 theatres. Hollywood buzz-ards expect $100M for three days & $130M for five days. M2’s tracking best for first choice with under 25 women (19 points over norm).