Can Glicked match the success of Barbenheimer? – Deseret News

Last year, audiences saw “Barbenheimer.”

“Oppenheimer” and “Barbie,” two very different films, both opened on July 21 and brought a wave of audiences to theaters the likes of which we haven’t seen since before the pandemic.

This year we have “Glicked”.

“Gladiator 2” and “Wicked: Part 1” hit theaters on Friday, and some fans are eager to repeat the success of last year’s “Barbenheimer.”

Can Glicked compare to Barbenheimer? Here’s what you need to know.

Barbenheimer numbers

“Barbenheimer” became a cultural phenomenon – and it completely paid for itself at the box office.

According to ABC News, Barbenheimer exceeded expectations last July. For this particular weekend, “Barbie” is projected to take $90 million at the box office and “Oppenheimer” to take in $40 million.

Together, “Barbenheimer” earned $244 million this weekend. Separately, “Barbie” earned $155 million, according to the Associated Press, and “Oppenheimer” earned $80.5 million.

“This was a truly historic weekend that continues the positive momentum of the 2023 box office,” Michael O’Leary, president and CEO of the National Association of Theater Owners, told the AP at the time. “People recognized that something special was happening and wanted to be a part of it.”

In total, “Barbenheimer” earned $2.4 billion, according to ABC News.

How will Glicked perform this year?

We’ll have to wait until next week to see how Gladiator II and Wicked perform on their opening weekend.

“Wicked” grossed a staggering $19.2 million at the box office, according to Variety. The film also did well in early showings, earning $2.5 million on Monday, $5.7 million on Wednesday and $11 million on Thursday.

By comparison, Gladiator 2 earned $6.5 million in Thursday previews.

According to Variety, “Wicked” is “on track to have one of the biggest opening weekends of the year” and is projected to bring in between $100 million and $110 million, “with some estimates as high as $130 million.”

Gladiator 2 is expected to earn around $65 million.

Tom Noonan, co-director of the producing program at UCLA’s Graduate School of Theater, Film and Television, told The New York Times in an email that “Glicked may not be ‘Barbenheimer,’ but it’s still something.” celebrate.

“Both ‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator II’ look strong, and even if their combined box office receipts are less than ‘Barbie’ in a single weekend, we shouldn’t view it as a failure,” Noonan said. “As Thanksgiving approaches, their combined strength is certainly something we can all be grateful for—a good, old-fashioned movie extravaganza for the holiday weekend.”

What did the stars of Wicked and Gladiator 2 say about Glicked?

Both Gladiator 2 and Wicked stars expressed their support for Glicked.

Jeff Goldblum, who plays the Wizard in Wicked, told Deadline, “It’s a world with an abundance mentality, where there’s everything there is to be found.”

“I think they’re not competing, they’re talking,” said Gladiator 2 star Paul Mescal, according to ABC News. “This industry needs support. These films gave it last year. We hope to do that this year.”