Musical blockbuster Wicked has surpassed Gladiator II and Paddington In Peru to secure the biggest opening weekend of 2024 at Vue International.
The cinema chain said the film, which stars Oscar-nominated actress Cynthia Erivo and Grammy-winning pop star Ariana Grande as Elphaba and Glinda from the hit Broadway and West End musical, has had the largest opening weekend for a stage musical adaptation in its history.
The two-part film, which was released in the UK on Friday, is up 60% on Les Miserables’ opening weekend in 2012 and three times larger than the 2022 film adaptation of Matilda.
Founder and chief executive of Vue International Tim Richards told the PA news agency: “Vue has seen a sea of pink and green over the opening weekend of Wicked, which has shown continued high demand for the big screen experience.
“We saw record-breaking pre-sales for Wicked, followed by a chart-topping opening weekend – the biggest for 2024.”
The musical adaptation film explores the friendship between Elphaba and Glinda before they become estranged in the classic stories by L Frank Baum, in which Elphaba is known as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda as the Good Witch of the South.
Directed by Crazy Rich Asians filmmaker Jon M Chu, Wicked also stars Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero Tigelaar and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz.
The second half of the two-part film is expected in November 2025.
Wicked’s release comes after Sir Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II starring Irish actor Paul Mescal was released on November 15 and Paddington In Peru on November 3.
The string of blockbusters is set to continue as the highly anticipated sequel to Disney’s 2016 hit Moana starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Auliʻi Cravalho is set to open at UK cinemas on November 29, while Mufasa: The Lion King will arrive on December 20.
Wicked and Gladiator II have brought in a combined 270 million dollars (£215 million) in worldwide ticket sales after they both debuted in US cinemas on Friday, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Wicked debuted with 114 million dollars (£91 million) in North America and 164 million dollars (£131 million) globally, while Gladiator II launched with around 55.5 million dollars (£44 million) in North American ticket sales and a further 50.5 million dollars (£40 million) internationally, AP reported according to studio estimates on Sunday.
