Wicked and Gladiator 2 have debuted with an astounding $169.5 million in combined US ticket sales, making the past weekend a huge success for a struggling box office.
Jon M. Chu’s screen adaptation of the popular Broadway musical, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, defied gravity raking in $114 million. Meanwhile, Ridley Scott’s belated Gladiator sequel, led by Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal, brought in $55.5 million.