Wicked' and 'Gladiator 2' kicked off Thursday night respectively grossing $20M and $6M+ in previews. 'Wicked's cash includes earlier previews.

Between them, the two very different Thanksgiving tentpoles are capturing almost every adult demo, reminiscent of Barbenheimer.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande's 'Wicked' is scoring one of the biggest opening weekends of 2024, as 'Gladiator II' swings into second.

Wicked” and “Gladiator II” both drew less in Thursday previews than their “Barbenheimer” counterparts, but are still expected to help the fall box office.

Wicked and Gladiator II are both off to a strong start at the box office; however, it won’t be as big of an opening weekend as Barbenheimer. Wicked and Gladiator II are both now playing in United States theaters.

Globally, Wicked will see the biggest opening weekend for a film based on a Broadway adaption, ahead of Les Miserables ($103M); the 6 th biggest opening weekend of 2024 worldwide; and the 4th biggest opening weekend ever globally for a musical, ahead of The Little Mermaid ($163.6M).

Wicked,' starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, and 'Gladiator II,' starring Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal, both open wide this weekend.

Just like “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” combined last year for the box office juggernaut of “Barbenheimer,” Universal’s musical “Wicked” and Paramount’s action epic “Gladiator II” will try to create “Glicked” this weekend.

The box office languished this fall after a record-breaking summer, though the trifecta of “Wicked,” “Gladiator II” and “Moana 2” are expected to be big hits this month.

Whether “ Wicked ” and “ Gladiator II ” inspires an unorthodox double feature à la last summer’s simultaneous blockbusters “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” remains a question. Either way, there’s a box office battle brewing between Universal’s pink-and-green musical and Paramount’s bloody sword-and-sandal epic, both of which open on Friday.