Moviegoers remember a viral moment that occurred last year known as Barbenheimer, where Barbie (which is streaming now with a Max subscription) and Oppenheimer were released into theaters on the same weekend. The very different projects inspired moviegoers to do double features, and there's another box office brawl brewing in theaters: Wickediator aka Wicked and Gladiator II's simultaneously release. But which blockbuster will win the box office on opening weekend? Here’s the latest.
Barnenheimer became a pop culture moment and is even inspiring its own movie. We'll have to see if the fan excitement around Wickediator is at the same level. Box office predictions for opening weekend are started to roll in, and most analysts seem to think that Wicked will end up making more money. Although they're both expected to do quite well in theaters.
Box Office Pro poses that the first Wicked movie could make from $100 million to $125 during its opening weekend in theaters over the Thanksgiving Holiday. Meanwhile, they think Gladiator II would make from $60-$80 million. This definitely would be a big discrepancy, although other outlets think the gap between the two movies' performance could be smaller.
THR formed its own set of predictions or Wicked and Gladiator II, which offer a more modest view on how Ariana Grande's movie musical will perform. That outlet thinks Jon M. Chu's flick will make around $85 million, and have Gladiator II at $65 million to start its run in theaters. This still puts the musical over the action flick, but at much less of a blowout.
What we know about Wicked is that it's already a global sensation with lots of fans. Combine that with the non-stop marketing and Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo's green and pink outfits, and there's a ton of hype surrounding the project. And since its rated PG, the title is also one families can enjoy during the holiday weekend.
Of course, the release of Gladiator II has been a long time coming, and there does seem to excitement surrounding the action flick. And these estimates don't consider the way word of mouth could affect either project. If Ridley Scott hits gold again, it might encourage more moviegoers to see the sequel.
While it seems unlikely that Wickediator gets to the same level of box office and pop culture success as Barbenheimer, it's fun to see another unlikely duo of blockbusters hit theaters at the same time. And just like its predecessor, one is a pink-infused story about female friendship, and the other is about violence.
All will be revealed when Wicked and Gladiator II hit theaters on November 22nd. For now, check the 2025 movie release dates.
