Hollywood was back this weekend to where it desperately hungers to be — at the center of global culture.
Women flocked to the PG-rated “Wicked,” a lavish adaptation of Act One of the popular Broadway musical, while men supported “Gladiator II,” an R-rated sequel 24 years in the making. Together, the two big-budget movies sold an estimated $384 million in tickets worldwide, bringing the box office back to life after months of audience indifference. Going into the weekend, ticket sales were down about 11 percent from last year in the United States and Canada — and 27 percent compared with before the pandemic.
“Wicked” was No. 1 in North America, with sales from Friday through Sunday of roughly $95 million from 3,888 theaters, for a total since opening in previews earlier in the week of $114 million. That sum made “Wicked” the third-highest opener for the year, behind $211 million for “Deadpool & Wolverine” and $154 million for “Inside Out 2.” (Overseas, “Wicked” was expected to collect an additional $48 million.)
Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” collected about $56 million in North America, including previews, for a worldwide total since arriving in overseas release earlier this month of about $220 million.
“This weekend’s two strong openers are invigorating a box office that fell apart after a good summer,” said David A. Gross, a film consultant who publishes a newsletter on box office numbers.
But the bounce came at a steep price.
To convince people that “Wicked” was worth a trip to the multiplex, Universal Pictures mounted one of the largest marketing campaigns in Hollywood history. The no-expense-spared effort started in February at the Super Bowl and did not let up, leaving some competing studio marketers slack-jawed.
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