The battle rages in cinemas at the end of 2024. This week, it is possible to see this fantastic film which is a hit in the United States and much better than Gladiator 2.
Internet users sometimes have fun creating competitions between radically different films that come out on the same date. After “Barbenheimer” (the duel between Barbie et Oppenheimer in 2023), another clash is raging in American cinemas. If it has already been out for several weeks in France, Gladiator II faced another blockbuster at the US box office for its American release on November 22.
In the United States, the sequel to the peplum directed by Ridley Scott got off to a decent start, with $55 million generated for its first weekend of release. But he only came in second position in the ranking, being soundly beaten by this other heavyweight of American popular culture. With $114 million earned in just two days, it was the winner of the US box office upon its release.
From, Wicked raked in more than $263 million in the United States alone, when Gladiator II is at 111.2 million dollars across the Atlantic. If Vaiana 2 also made a tidal wave, the question now is whether the French public, who are discovering the musical this week, will widen the gap further or not.
Prequel to Wizard of Oz, Wicked achieved the best start for a musical comedy adaptation. Which is not surprising when you know that the work of which it is adapted is a real phenomenon on Broadway. Since 2003, it has been the fifth most performed musical, having surpassed $1 billion in gross on Broadway in 2016. It tells the story of the relationship of the witches Elphaba and Glinda, from their friendship to their rivalry, long before Dorothy’s excursion to the Land of Oz.
The film is the first part of the story of Wicked. It is directed by Jon Chu, who signed In the Heights et Crazy Rich Asians. Au casting, Cynthia Erivo (Harriet) plays the woman who will become the Wicked Witch of the West, while Ariana Grande plays the woman who will later be known as the Good Witch of the South, opposite Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton), Michelle Yeoh (Everything, Everywhere all at Once) that Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park).
The first part of Wicked is released in France this Wednesday, December 4, a few weeks after its thunderous American release. If the musical is less known in France, it remains one of the blockbusters expected at the end of the year. The second part will be released in 2025.
