Hollywood clawed its way back into cultural relevance this weekend with the releases of Wicked and Gladiator II. Despite the flashy marketing campaigns and nostalgic appeal, the question remains whether the box office can truly regain its pre-pandemic luster—or if the industry is just burning through cash to manufacture fleeting moments of success.
Wicked, Universal Pictures’ adaptation of the first act of the Broadway musical, led domestic sales with $95 million over the weekend, totaling $114 million since its previews began earlier in the week. Globally, it added an additional $48 million. While these numbers positioned it as the third-highest opening of the year, the cost of achieving this result was staggering. Universal mounted an unprecedented marketing blitz starting in February, spanning Super Bowl ads, extensive partnerships with brands like Starbucks and Mattel, and relentless promotion across its NBCUniversal media channels.
Despite this, Wicked’s appeal remained narrowly focused, with 72% of ticket buyers identifying as female, according to PostTrak. Efforts to attract male viewers fell flat, casting doubt on the sustainability of such high-stakes marketing.
Gladiator II, Ridley Scott’s long-awaited sequel to the 2000 blockbuster, fared modestly by comparison, collecting $56 million domestically over the weekend and reaching a global total of $220 million since its overseas release. Paramount also spent heavily, leveraging sports advertising, global premieres, and partnerships with brands like Ferrari and Pepsi. Though its audience skewed male (60%) and younger than expected, these results hardly justify the $350 million production and marketing spend.
The simultaneous release of the two films—dubbed “Glicked” by social media—drew comparisons to last year’s “Barbenheimer” phenomenon. However, box office analysts noted that the cultural impact was far weaker, with few viewers opting for double features.
This brief surge comes after months of declining ticket sales, driven by a mix of streaming competition and shifting leisure priorities. Theatrical releases, particularly high-budget ones, no longer command the cultural dominance they once did. As Chapman University film school dean Stephen Galloway observed, studios now rely on turning movies into “manufactured cultural events,” complete with merchandise and relentless advertising.
Both films leaned heavily on nostalgia to drive ticket sales, with Wicked rooted in the lore of The Wizard of Oz and Gladiator II banking on the enduring appeal of its swords-and-sandals predecessor. While this strategy delivered short-term gains, it underscores Hollywood’s deepening reliance on familiar formulas to lure audiences back into theaters.
The real takeaway? Nostalgia sells, but at a steep price—and it’s unclear how much longer the industry can sustain these high-stakes bets on blockbuster extravaganzas.