Hello everyone,
BOX OFFICE: Everybody is raving about “Gl-icked” – this year’s version of “Barbenheimer”. However, it’s not even close to as big as that weekend. Most of the records are “biggest opening weekend for a movie from a Broadway play”. There are also some records broken for “non sequel movie” opening – it is the best non-sequel opening of 2024. “Wicked” made $112 which is the highest pre-Thanksgiving opening weekend box office since “Frozen 2” made $130 million in 2019, it’s the 3rd biggest opening of the year so far (behind “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool Vs Wolverine”), and it’s less than the “Barbie” opening weekend of $162 million last year. The #2 movie “Gladiator 2” made $55 million which is less than “Oppenheimer” 2nd place opening weekend of $82 million in summer of 2023.
The domestic total box office was approx. $202 which is also the 3rd highest domestic total weekend of the year so far. It’s up 189% from the previous weekend and it’s about 84% higher than the pre-Thanksgiving weekend last year (which was 1 week earlier last year) of approx. $110 million. The news says it’s the highest domestic total in 11 years but it’s not. In 2019 the total pre-Thanksgiving domestic total was $204 million led by “Frozen 2”. Also, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” opened 2 weeks before Thanksgiving weekend in 2022 and made $181 million for a weekend total of $209.5.
WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE: Thanks to the previous weekends international box office of $87 million and it’s additional $50 million international box office this weekend, “Gladiator 2” is the #1 movie worldwide this past weekend with a worldwide total of $220 million. Meanwhile, “Wicked” also made about $50 million at the international box office for a worldwide total of $164 million (although it’s playing in less foreign countries than “Gladiator 2” right now). Also, “Venom The Last Dance” Is still doing pretty well internationally. It’s worldwide gross just put it past $450 million which makes it the #7 movie worldwide in 2024, just ahead of “Beetlejuice Bettlejuice”.
OTHER NEWS: The announced sequel to the movie “Wolfs” is not happening. The director recently said he returned the money that Apple gave him to write the sequel because he doesn’t trust Apple anymore after they changed the “Wolfs” theatrical release from a wide worldwide release to a very small 1-week theatrical release.
According to comments from the director – Russell Crowe wanted his character from Gladiator to (SPOLIER) come back from the dead (END OF SPOILER). The writer of the supposed script – Nick Cave – was quoted as saying “I enjoyed writing it very much because I knew on every level that it was never going to get made.”
LITTLE BIT OF HUMOR:
Speaking of “Gladiator 2”, if you’re in the Los Angeles area you may want to drive down Hollywood Blvd past the Chinese IMAX theater in Hollywood to check this out…..
Hopefully, it’ll still be standing until Dec 1 (next Sunday) because rain is scheduled over this past weekend and this week and I’m guessing at least some of this is made with cardboard or paper.
LOS ANGELES FILM REVIEW 