US cinemas experienced a blockbuster weekend from November 22 to 24, 2024, led by the debut of *Wicked*, which amassed $114 million, marking it as the third-highest opening of the year. *Gladiator II* also debuted strongly with $55.5 million. *Red One* saw a significant drop but maintained a top position, while *Bonhoeffer* made a modest debut. Other films like *Venom – The Last Dance* and *Smile 2* struggled to maintain momentum against the new releases.
US Box Office Highlights from November 22 to 24, 2024
1 – Wicked: $114,000,000 (Debut)
2 – Gladiator II: $55,500,000 (Debut)
3 – Red One: $13,285,603 (total: $52,910,550)
4 – Bonhoeffer: $5,120,013 (Debut)
5 – Venom – The Last Dance: $4,000,000 (total: $133,825,476)
6 – The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: $3,500,000 (total: $25,515,822)
7 – Heretic: $2,233,198 (total: $24,766,851)
8 – The Wild Robot: $2,000,000 (total: $140,727,420)
9 – Smile 2: $1,110,000 (total: $67,759,010)
10 – A Real Pain: $1,109,000 (total: $4,959,588)
Weekend Box Office Insights
This past weekend, American cinemas witnessed an epic clash between the magical world of Wicked and the ancient arena of Gladiator II. Following the sensational success of the Barbenheimer phenomenon, both films graced the box office starting Friday, November 22.
Pre-sale predictions pointed towards a victory for Wicked, which ultimately triumphed with a staggering $114 million in its opening weekend, as confirmed by estimates released on Sunday, November 24.
With a combined production budget of $350 million, the musical adaptation Wicked achieved the third-highest opening of 2024, trailing only behind Vice Versa 2 ($151 million) and Deadpool & Wolverine ($211 million). It also set a remarkable record for Broadway adaptations, surpassing Into the Woods ($31.1 million) and Mamma Mia! ($27.8 million).
Despite the impending release of Moana 2, the positive buzz from critics and audiences may keep Wicked thriving in theaters throughout the Thanksgiving weekend.
Meanwhile, Gladiator II also made a strong showing, earning $55.5 million. This marks the best opening for Ridley Scott since Hannibal ($58 million) back in 2001, and it outperformed the original Gladiator’s opening of $34.8 million.
While its profitability hinges on a rumored budget of $220 million, the sequel has already equaled the global earnings of Napoleon and garnered half of its predecessor’s total, which wrapped up with over $465 million.
Though surpassing Scott’s highest-grossing film, The Martian ($630 million), may prove difficult, the encouraging start for Gladiator II suggests it could rank high in his box office achievements.
In the shadow of Wicked and Gladiator II, last week’s top film, Red One, faced a significant decline, dropping 58.6% in revenue yet still managed to hold onto a podium position.
Despite this, Red One outperformed the new release Bonhoeffer, along with Venom 3 and The Wild Robot, which marked its ninth week in the Top 10.
Lastly, Smile 2 continues to struggle to surpass the original film’s success, with the sequel currently at $67.8 million in the US and $135.9 million globally, compared to the first film’s $105.9 million domestically and $217.4 million worldwide.
Source: Box-Office Mojo