NEW YORK – With global ticket sales totaling $270 million “Evil” And “Gladiator II” breathed recent life right into a box office that did that been having problems currentlyleading to one in every of the busiest movie weekends of the 12 months.

Jon M. Chu's lavish, big-budget musical “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, opened Sunday with $114 million domestically and $164.2 million worldwide for Universal Pictures, in response to studio estimates. That made it the third-biggest opening weekend of the 12 months, trailing by only one “Deadpool and Wolverine” And “Inside Out 2.” It can also be a record for a Broadway musical adaptation.

Ridley Scott's “Gladiator II” a sequel to his 2000 award-winning original, which opened with $55.5 million in ticket sales. With a production price tag of around $250 million, “Gladiator II” was an enormous bet by Paramount Pictures to return to the Coliseum with a largely recent solid led by Denzel Washington and Paul Mescal. “Gladiator II” did well overseas, although domestic ticket sales fell just in need of the $60 million forecast. It grossed $50.5 million internationally.

The collision of the 2 movies led to some echoes of that “Barbenheimer” Effect of last 12 months, when “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” got here onto the market at the identical time. The nickname this time, “Slid” wasn't quite as catchy and the cultural influence was also significantly less. Only just a few people was in search of a double feature this time. Domestic grosses in 2023 — $162 million for “Barbie” and $82 million for “Oppenheimer” — were also higher.

“Glicked” lags behind “Barbenheimer”.

For Universal, which distributed “Oppenheimer” last 12 months, the weekend was more of a triumph for “Wicked” than “Glicked.”

“We saw an opportunity to dominate a weekend and start the Thanksgiving holiday with great success,” said Jim Orr, Universal distribution manager. “We are very confident that things will go incredibly well in the Christmas corridor and into the new year.”

But the counterprogramming effect was still strong in “Wicked” and “Gladiator II,” which were also largely gender segregated. And once more it was the female-driven release – “Wicked,” like “Barbie” before it — that easily won the weekend. About 72% of ticket buyers for “Wicked” were female, while 61% of those that saw “Gladiator II” were male.

“In isolation, each of these films may have done pretty much what they did, but it's hard to say,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “Raising awareness can actually lead to an increase in box office revenue. Let’s put it this way: They didn’t hurt each other at all.”

Massive marketing campaigns paved the way in which for the opening weekend

While “Barbenheimer” benefited enormously from word of mouth via memes, each “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” relied on extensive marketing campaigns.

The Gladiator II campaign included every little thing from a much-discussed Airbnb cross-promotion with the actual Colosseum in Rome to the simultaneous broadcast of a one-minute trailer on greater than 4,000 television networks, radio stations and digital platforms.

The “Wicked” rush went even further, with pink and green “Wickedly Delicious” Starbucks drinks, Stanley mugs and Mattel dolls (a few of which led to this). an unpleasant memory ). Its stars have appeared on the Met Gala and the Olympics.

“We had around 400 global brand partners on 'Wicked,' so the campaign was inevitable,” said Orr. “And our cast, led by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, worked so hard on this. They were everywhere. They did everything we asked them to do.”

Heading into the weekend, box office revenue was down about 11% in comparison with last 12 months and down about 25% in comparison with pre-pandemic times. That meant this week's two major movies gave theaters a much-needed boost. With “Moana 2” With Wednesday's release, Hollywood could possibly be taking a look at historic sales over the Thanksgiving holiday.

The two movies increased the sluggish box office performance

“This weekend's two strong opening titles revive a box office that has collapsed after a good summer,” said David A. Gross, a movie consultant who publishes a franchise entertainment newsletter.

Although “Wicked” could have direct competition with “Moana 2,” it seems higher poised for an extended and lucrative theatrical run than “Gladiator II.” Although some have criticized “Wicked” for being “Wicked” due to its length of two hours and 40 minutes, the film received mostly excellent reviews. Audiences gave it an “A” grade on CinemaScore. The reception for “Wicked” was so great that Oscar prognosticators expect it to be considered for Best Picture on the Academy Awards, amongst other awards.

The producers, perhaps sensing a success, also took the step of splitting “Wicked” into two parts. The second part, which has already been shot, shall be released next November. Each “Wicked” installation cost around $150 million to supply.

“Gladiator II” also received good reviews, largely attributable to Washington's charismatic performance. However, audience rankings were weaker, with ticket buyers giving the film a grade of “B” on CinemaScore. However, the film will make up for a few of this with strong international sales. It launched in lots of foreign markets every week ago and has already grossed $165.5 million internationally.

In distant third place this weekend was “Red One,” the vacation film turned motion film by Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans. In its second week of release, the Amazon MGM Studios release grossed $13.3 million, bringing its two-week worldwide cume to $117 million. With a production cost of $250 million, “Red One” is the largest flop of the season, even though it could regain some value for Amazon if it becomes more popular once it starts streaming.

The final domestic figures shall be published on Monday. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, in response to Comscore:

1. “Wicked,” $114 million.

2. “Gladiator II,” $55.5 million.

3. “Red One,” $13.3 million.

4. “Bonhoeffer: Pastor Spy Assassin,” $5.1 million.

5. “Venom: The Last Dance,” $4 million.

6. “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” $3.5 million.

7. “Heretic,” $2.2 million.

8. “The Wild Robot,” $2 million.

9. “Smile 2,” $1.1 million.

10. “A Real Pain,” $1.1 million.

Originally published: November 24, 2024 at 2:20 pm PST

Filmmaker Jon M. Chu has been instrumental in bringing not one, but two bundles of joy this month.

The first got here on November ninth, when the Palo Alto-born filmmaker and his wife Kristin Hodge welcomed daughter Stevie Sky to their enchanted kingdom; They now have 4 children.

The completely satisfied event coincided with the glittering Los Angeles premiere of certainly one of the most important movies of 2024, Chu's recent theatrical version of the beloved Broadway maroon “Wicked.”

When asked if welcoming a brand new daughter and directing certainly one of the most important Christmas movies means he's not getting much sleep in the meanwhile, the affable Chu jokes.

“I haven’t slept in about three years,” he said. “My wife is an angel. So life is full now and my heart is full. So they’re just blessings.”

Chu's Part 1 of “Wicked” (Part II is scheduled for release in November 2025) lasts so long as your complete stage production, but doesn't feel prefer it, and includes a diverse forged that features Tony Award winner Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, the Outcasts, The Wicked Witch of the West is within the making, and pop star Ariana Grande is playing good Glinda (or Ga-linda, as she's quick to indicate). The two annoy one another as unlikely roommates at Shiz University's women's college, Cage Hall. The management lies with the headmistress Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). “Bridgerton” heartthrob Jonathan Bailey also plays the dashing Prince Fiyero Tigelaar, who captivates each of them.

Chu directed the phenomenally successful “Crazy Rich Asians” in 2018 and later the swinging musical “In the Heights.” The latter, which was released in cinemas after the COVID-19 crisis, failed to attain the hoped-for box office success. “Wicked” experienced turbulence by itself flight to the large screen when the writers' strike halted production just before filming of the breathtaking number “Defying Gravity” that closes this film. Erivo sat on that song for six months after which belted it out, Chu said.

Chu all the time loved musicals and fell in love on the 2003 world premiere of “Wicked” on the Curran Theater in San Francisco. The 45-year-old fondly remembers coming to San Francisco together with his family to see ballet, opera and various musical productions. Chu's parents are beloved South Bay icons: Lawrence and Ruth Chu and run the famous Los Altos restaurant Chef Chu's.

Chu was keen about “Wicked” from the beginning.

“I feel very fortunate to have the purest patient-zero experience,” he recalls. “I didn't know what I was going to see, but I still remember being blown away by being mesmerized by the bubble, the little reference to the movie (The Wizard of Oz) really touching me has. ”

That's why it's somewhat mind-boggling for Chu, who also directed two “Step Up” dance movies, “GI Joe: Retaliation,” “Jem and the Holograms” and more, that he's been directing some film versions in 20 years , after seeing the musical with the family.

“It feels like fate,” he says.

His love of musicals was fostered while attending school within the South Bay.

“Our school (Pinewood in Los Altos) was very interested in theater,” he said. “I played Oliver. I was obsessed with The Phantom of the Opera. I had the pop-up book. I had the beach towel. I had the porcelain mask. I loved Joseph and the Fantastic Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

Chu's interest in filmmaking emerged within the mid-to-late Nineties with the appearance of digital video. A 13-14 yr old child found it most difficult to access the equipment.

The generosity of the regulars at his parents' restaurant got here to the rescue.

“People would come into the restaurant and give my dad equipment for me because they knew I was into video,” he remembers. “I was in the right place at the right moment and at the right time in a restaurant that is essentially a house of stories because everyone tells stories at all times.”

Having the camera in your hand proved to be a game-changer.

“I was the youngest of five, people kind of ignore you,” he said. “But with a camera in my hands, everyone was paying attention. They let me sit with them. Or they wanted to see what I was photographing. And looking into that lens was like putting on a mask. And the way they look at you is different. Maybe I've become addicted to it. … It took me a while to understand the power behind it.”

Chu remembers his immigrant parents singing songs from the 1939 original “The Wizard of Oz” in the home. The American dream “was very real in our household,” he said.

But when he left the Bay Area and started college, he found he “awakened to a different reality.” The stage musical “Wicked” brought his feelings to the forefront.

“Suddenly I walk into a store and people treat me differently,” he remembers. “I kind of grappled with the question: Is this how the world is? And this musical turned that idea of ​​the fairy tale on its head and said…in a very serious way, who decided what a villain should look like, who decided what a hero should look like.”

This stayed with him throughout the entire process of making the film. One of the most difficult aspects was casting the two female leads.

Erivo wowed her with her performance even when she walked in wearing jeans for the first time.

However, Chu was reluctant when he heard Grande was interested.

“I was like no way. Ariana Grande can't do that. No way.” But he agreed to see her.

“She comes in and is the most interesting person in the room,” he recalls. But he still wasn't entirely convinced she was right for the role. When he called back, he asked if she could “take off the Ariana Grande stuff.”

“She completely changed and was ready to go there,” he said. After a 3rd audition, she got the role.

“Wicked” Part II will probably be released on November 21, 2025, but Chu isn’t relaxing until then. He is developing a movie version of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and is working on an animated musical by Dr. Seuss' “Oh, the Places You'll Go!” And then there's the musical “Crazy Rich Asians,” a possible sequel in development to this huge box office hit. And, oops, he was also hired to direct Britney Spears' memoir.

It could thoroughly turn into much more entertainment fun, and Chu is happy about it.

“Just no more kids,” he said, laughing.

Originally published: November 21, 2024 at 11:02 am PST