‘Gladiator II’, ‘Wicked’ battle for North American box office honours

HOLLYWOOD got respite from a slack few months as two much-anticipated new films – Universal’s Wicked: Part I and Gladiator II from Paramount - roared to the top of the North American box office last weekend.

Wicked, the latest take on 1939’s beloved Wizard of Oz, took in an estimated US$114 million for the Friday-through-Sunday period, said industry watcher Exhibitor Relations.

“This is a sensational opening for the start of a new adventure fantasy series,” said analyst David A Gross, who cited “superb” reviews and audience scores.

Wicked scored one of the biggest openings ever for a big-screen musical, according to The Hollywood Reporter – good news for the film’s investors, with Wicked: Part 2 set to be released next year.

Critics say that Cynthia Erivo has a showstopping turn as green-skinned heroine Elphaba, while pop music star Ariana Grande, another vocal powerhouse, plays fellow witch Glinda.

Gladiator II, the long-awaited sequel to 2000’s Oscar-winning Gladiator, put up big enough weekend numbers – US$55.5 million – that fans are linking it to Wicked with portmanteaus like Glicked and Wickiator.

Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen and a delightfully evil Denzel Washington star in a story set in ancient Rome years after the original Gladiator.

Durable director Ridley Scott (he turns 87 next week), weaves a tale of ruthless ambition and retribution, spicing up the original by bringing sharks, baboons and a rhinoceros into the blood-soaked arena.

Last weekend’s box-office leader, Christmas comedy Red One from Amazon and MGM, earned US$13.3 million for third place. Dwayne (“The Rock”) Johnson plays a North Pole security officer trying to find a kidnapped Santa Claus (JK Simmons) on Christmas Eve.

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Fourth place went to Angel Studios’ new historical drama Bonhoeffer, at US$5.1 million. It tells the story of German pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who preached a message of love, detested the Nazi dictatorship and was accused of involvement in a plot to assassinate Hitler. German actor Jonas Dassler stars.

In fifth was Sony’s Venom: The Last Dance, at US$4 million. Tom Hardy stars in it.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

• The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (US$3.5 million).
• Heretic (US$2.2 million)
• The Wild Robot (US$2 million).
• Smile 2 (US$1.1 million)
• A Real Pain (US$1.1 million).