**Universal Pictures' "Wicked" Breaks Records with Massive Box Office Opening**

Universal Pictures' "Wicked" conjured up a stellar performance at the domestic box office this weekend, debuting at No. 1 with an impressive $114 million, according to studio estimates. This marks the highest opening for a film based on a Broadway musical, eclipsing the $31 million debut of 2014’s "Into the Woods." On a global scale, "Wicked" smashed records as well, earning $164.2 million and surpassing the $103 million record held by 2012’s "Les Misérables."

Paramount Pictures' "Gladiator II" came in strong but second, grossing $55.5 million across the United States and Canada. This became the highest domestic opening ever for an R-rated film released in November. However, both "Wicked" and "Gladiator II" fell slightly below analyst expectations, which ranged for "Wicked" from $120 million to $140 million, and for "Gladiator II" from $60 million to $75 million.

"Wicked," directed by Jon M. Chu and based on the first act of Winnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz's hit Broadway musical, had a production budget of $150 million. Meanwhile, the budget for "Gladiator II" was pegged at $250 million before marketing costs. Despite not fully meeting projections, the successful box office performances of both films have been a boon to cinemas, which have faced a challenging autumn due to flops like Warner Bros.’ "Joker: Folie à Deux" and Amazon MGM Studios’ "Red One."

Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, highlighted the perfect timing of these box office hits. "What's happening right now is the perfect recipe for success for movie theaters heading into 2025," he stated, pointing to an optimistic future for the industry.

The strong debut of these films was further celebrated by Michael O'Leary, president of the National Association of Theatre Owners, who acknowledged it as one of the most successful November weekends ever at the box office. He emphasized this as a positive indicator for continued box office strength into December and the new year.

"Red One," which saw a sophomore haul of $13.28 million, "Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin," debuting with $5.12 million, and "Venom: The Last Dance," with $4 million in its fifth weekend for a total of $133.83 million, rounded out the top five films.

"Wicked" stars Ariana Grande as Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. The cast also includes Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Marissa Bode, and Michelle Yeoh. The film, which holds a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an A grade from CinemaScore, has been particularly well-received by female audiences, who comprised 72% of the opening weekend crowd.

Jim Orr, head of domestic distribution at Universal Pictures, was particularly pleased with the film's broad appeal across various regions, including markets like Nashville and Salt Lake City, which performed well above expectations.

Directed by Jon M. Chu, “Wicked” marks another significant success for Universal and its leader, Donna Langley, recently appointed chair of NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios. Universal's approach to fully embracing the musical elements in promoting "Wicked" seems to have paid off, contrasting with other recent strategies that downplayed musical aspects.

"Wicked Part Two," covering the second act of the stage production, is already anticipated, with its release set for next year. This strong start speaks volumes about the enduring appeal of the musical film genre when executed well.