"Gladiator II" team-up is projected to have a $200 million opening weekend, with "Wicked" bringing in $19 million in previews.

• This weekend, both "Wicked" from Universal and "Gladiator II" from Paramount are predicted to generate over $200 million in combined box office revenue, surpassing the Thanksgiving holiday.
• Advance screenings for "Wicked" have generated $19.2 million at the domestic box office, and analysts predict a domestic opening weekend of between $120 million to $140 million.
• "Gladiator II" is predicted to earn between $60 million and $80 million during the domestic weekend, after earning $6.5 million from Thursday previews.

This weekend, the box office will be decorated with pink, green, and red colors.

This weekend, "Wicked" and "Gladiator II" are predicted to gross over $200 million in combined ticket sales, surpassing expectations ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.

"According to Shawn Robbins, director of analytics at Fandango and founder of Box Office Theory, "Wicked" and "Gladiator II" are the perfect counter-programming duo that movie theaters and audiences have been eagerly anticipating. These two films are expected to kickstart a potentially historic holiday corridor, with "Moana 2" also set to deliver big results during Thanksgiving next week."

"Wicked" has already grossed $19.2 million at the domestic box office from advance screenings held during the week. On Monday, Amazon Prime members spent $2.5 million at 750 theaters in the U.S., while another $5.7 million was collected from around 2,000 theaters on Wednesday in the U.S. and Canada. Additionally, "Wicked" made an extra $11 million from standard Thursday night preview screenings at around 3,300 theaters.

The projected earnings for "Wicked" have increased from $80 million in late October to a range of $120 million to $140 million, with some predicting an even higher three-day total for the film's opening weekend.

Despite challenges in marketing and profitability, Hollywood has seen success with fan-favorite IP-driven musicals. The anticipation for "Wicked," which is based on a popular Broadway musical, is making it difficult for box office analysts to predict its performance.

"Wicked" received a 92% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes from over 160 critics, and its popcornmeter, which measures the percentage of verified movie ticket holders who rated the film with 3.5 stars or higher, is at 99% with over 2,500 ratings.

"Into the Woods" currently holds the record for the highest-opening Broadway adaptation in cinematic history, with $31 million earned during its first three days in theaters in 2014, according to Comscore data.

"Gladiator II" is expected to earn between $60 million and $80 million in its domestic weekend tally, after grossing $6.5 million from Thursday previews and securing a 73% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes from over 200 reviews. This is a 24-year follow-up to the original film, which opened with $34.8 million during its May 2000 weekend.

The power of 'Glicked'

"Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, stated that the "Glicked" movie mashup resembles the "Barbenheimer" phenomenon and has generated a cultural buzz. Although not as successful as the latter, it has boosted the popularity of both films and, combined with positive reviews, has positioned them for success during the opening weekend and beyond the holidays."

According to Comscore, the weekend ticket sales for "Wicked," "Gladiator II," and previously released films still in theaters are predicted to be between $200 million and $250 million. However, this would not place it in the top 20 highest-grossing weekends of all time.

The weekend of July 21, 2023, generated $311 million, ranking as the fourth-best weekend box office performance in history.

"Robbins pointed out that while the first hours or days may be important, these films have the potential to succeed for weeks, particularly if word of mouth matches critics' reactions."

The weekend's box office performance will contribute to the overall annual revenue, which is currently 11% below the 2023 levels. Additionally, moviegoers will be shown ads for upcoming films in December and 2025.

"As CEO of Marcus Theatres and Marcus Hotels and Resorts, Greg Marcus emphasized the importance of maximizing revenue by providing excellent customer experiences. He urged his team to prioritize customer satisfaction, ensuring that lines moved quickly and customers were served efficiently. By doing so, Marcus aimed to showcase the benefits of going to the movies and spending time with others."

Along with numerous other cinema chains, Marcus Theatres is providing guests with drink and food specials, themed popcorn buckets and beverage containers, as well as other movie merchandise at their locations.

The "Gladiator II" popcorn bucket, shaped like the Colosseum, and a gladiator helmet that fits over its drink cups to hold popcorn are available at Regal. Additionally, the menu features pink and green candy-coated popcorn, themed drinks like green apple ICEE, Sprite variants called Ozdust Punch and Emerald Elixir, and alcoholic beverages named Popular Pink and Gravity Green.

NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast, is the distributor of 'Wicked'.