Entertainment
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' jolt the box office with a combined $170 million
Universal Pictures’ “Wicked” needed no lessons in how to be popular at the domestic box office this weekend, opening at No. 1 to the tune of $114 million, according to studio estimates.
That’s the highest opening ever for a film based on a Broadway musical, way ahead of 2014’s “Into the Woods” ($31 million). “Wicked” smashed the same record globally, bringing in a total of $164.2 million and surpassing 2012’s “Les Misérables” ($103 million).
In second place this weekend was Paramount Pictures’ “Gladiator II,” which launched at $55.5 million in the United States and Canada — the biggest domestic opening ever for an R-rated film released in November, not adjusted for inflation.
Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of the first act of Winnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz’s hit Broadway musical fell slightly short of recent analyst expectations in the $120-million to $140-million range, falling closer to the studio’s more modest pre-release projection of $110 million.
“Wicked” cost an estimated $150 million to make, not counting marketing.
Meanwhile, the legacy sequel to Ridley Scott’s early-aughts best picture winner came in lower than both analyst and studio projections, which ranged from $60 million to $75 million. The film had a pre-marketing budget of $250 million.
Still, the solid performances of both movies are an early, much-needed holiday gift to the movie theater industry, which has suffered a disappointing autumn thanks to critical and commercial flops such as Warner Bros.’ “Joker: Folie à Deux” and Amazon MGM Studios’ “Red One.”
“It couldn’t have come at a better time,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.
“What’s happening right now is the perfect recipe for success for movie theaters heading into 2025,” he added. “It’s how you finish the race, right?”
Rounding out the top five at the domestic box office this weekend were “Red One,” which grossed $13.28 million in its sophomore weekend for a North American total of $52.91 million; Angel Studios’ “Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin,” which debuted at $5.12 million; and Sony Pictures’ “Venom: The Last Dance,” which devoured $4 million in its fifth outing for a total of $133.83 million, according to estimates from measurement firm Comscore.
“On behalf of the people who operate movie theatres around the world, congratulations to our studio partners and the creative community for one of the most successful November weekends ever at the box office,” said Michael O’Leary, president of the National Assn. of Theatre Owners, in a statement.
“This is a tremendous catalyst for a strong box office going into December and the new year,” he said.
Arriving 21 years after its source material took Broadway by storm, “Wicked” stars Ariana Grande as Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, before Dorothy and friends followed the yellow brick road to the Emerald City. The highly anticipated reframing of “The Wizard of Oz” also counts Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Marissa Bode and Michelle Yeoh among its principal cast.
The movie’s ubiquitous rollout was fueled by an aggressive marketing campaign that saw Universal partner with 400 brands worldwide — including Starbucks, Ulta Beauty, Bloomingdales and Target — to paint the shelves Glinda pink and Elphaba green.
“Wicked” also benefited from mostly positive reviews hyping the performances of its leading sorceresses. The film received a 90% rating on review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, and a A grade from audiences polled by CinemaScore. The audience skewed heavily female. Women accounted for 72% of the domestic opening weekend box office.
Jim Orr, head of domestic distribution at Universal Pictures, was particularly glad that “Wicked” seems to be playing pretty evenly across the country — not just over-performing in coastal regions that tend to see more traffic.
“To see certain markets like Nashville and Salt Lake City over-index like they are is very gratifying,” Orr said.
“Very encouraging to a long, healthy run at the domestic box office.”
It’s a big win for Universal and its leader Donna Langley, who was recently elevated to chair of NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios. The Comcast-owned studio has often bet big on the musical movie genre — sometimes to great success (“Mamma Mia!” and “Les Misérables”) and other times to disastrous results (“Cats,” “Dear Evan Hansen”).
“The history of box office is littered with musicals that failed,” Dergarabedian said.
In an effort to evade the curse of the movie musical, some studios have recently concealed the show tunes when promoting titles such as Paramount’s “Mean Girls” or Warner Bros.’ “Wonka.” But this strategy has been known to backfire, and “Wicked” took the opposite approach.
“The marketing team [behind ‘Wicked’] did a fantastic job of embracing wholeheartedly — as they should — the musical aspects of this,” Dergarabedian added.
“This is a huge result for the genre and sets the bar really high.”
“Wicked Part Two,” covering the second act of the stage production, is scheduled to bow next year.
Also new to domestic theaters this weekend was “Gladiator II,” which stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington as dueling warriors and emperors of ancient Rome. Rounding out the main cast of the bloody historical drama are Joseph Quinn and Connie Nielsen.
The long-awaited “Gladiator” follow-up drew mixed-to-positive reviews, receiving a 71% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a B grade from audiences polled by CinemaScore.
“The fact that we were 52% under [the age of] 35 shows that we tapped into a new audience for the film, and not just in service of the legacy audience,” said Chris Aronson, head of domestic distribution at Paramount Pictures.
“That’s very heartening … of the film itself, of our marketing efforts and of its playability.”
The next major studio entry is Disney’s “Moana 2,” which opens in wide release the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
Entertainment
Stagecoach 2026: How to watch Friday’s livestream with Cody Johnson, Ella Langley, Bailey Zimmerman
Choosin’ to stay home instead of trekking out to Indio for this weekend’s Stagecoach festival? Don’t worry, you’ll be able to listen to all the country music your heart desires. You can get your country heartbreak on with Ella Langley, Bailey Zimmerman and Cody Johnson, and then rock out with Counting Crows. If you prefer EDM, you can catch Diplo and Dillstradamus (Dillon Francis and Flosstradamus) as Friday’s closing acts.
The festival will be livestreamed on Amazon Music, Amazon Prime Video and Twitch beginning at 3 p.m. On Sirius XM’s The Highway (channel 56), you can listen to exclusive interviews and live performances along with a special edition of the Music Row Happy Hour. The station Y’Allternative will also be covering the festival on Friday evening.
Here are updated set times for the Stagecoach livestream Friday performances (times presented are PDT):
Channel 1
3:05 p.m. Noah Rinker; 3:25 p.m.; Adrien Nunez; 4 p.m. Ole 60; 4:25 p.m. Avery Anna; 5 p.m. Chase Rice; 5:55 p.m. Nate Smith; 6:50 p.m. Ella Langeley; 7:50 p.m. Bailey Zimmerman; 8:55 p.m. the Red Clay Strays; 10 p.m. Cody Johnson; 11:30 p.m. Diplo
Channel 2
3:05 p.m. Neon Union; 3:25 p.m. Larkin Poe; 4 p.m. Marcus King Band; 4:50 p.m. Lyle Lovett; 5:35 p.m. BigXthaPlug; 6:30 p.m. Noah Cyrus; 7 p.m. Wynonna Judd; 8 p.m. Counting Crows; 8:50 p.m. Sam Barber; 10 p.m. Dan + Shay; 10:45 p.m. Diplo featuring Juicy J; 11:05 p.m. Rebecca Black; 11:45 p.m. Dillstradamus
Sirius XM Music Row Happy Hour
1 p.m. Avery Anna; 2 p.m. Nate Smith; 2:30 p.m. Josh Ross; 3 p.m. Cody Johnson; 3:30 p.m. Gabriella Rose; 5:15 p.m. Nate Smith; 7:50 p.m. Bailey Zimmerman; 9:30 p.m. Cody Johnson; 11 p.m. Diplo
Sirius XM Y’Allternative
5 p.m. Ole 60; 6 p.m. Larkin Poe; 7 p.m. Marcus King Band; 8 p.m. Sam Barber
Movie Reviews
Movie Review: The Mortuary Assistant – HorrorFuel.com: Reviews, Ratings and Where to Watch the Best Horror Movies & TV Shows
Forget the “video game movie” curse; The Mortuary Assistant is a bone-chilling triumph that stands entirely on its own two feet. Starring Willa Holland (Arrow) as Rebecca Owens, the film follows a newly certified mortician whose “overtime shift” quickly devolves into a grueling battle for her soul.
What Makes It Work
The film expertly balances the stomach-churning procedural work of embalming with a spiraling demonic nightmare. Alongside a mysterious mentor played by Paul Sparks (Boardwalk Empire), Rebecca is forced to confront both ancient evils and her own buried traumas. And boy, does she have a lot of them.
Thanks to a full-scale, practical River Fields Mortuary set, the film drips with realism, like you can almost smell the rot and bloat of the bodies through the screen.
The skin effects are hauntingly accurate. The way the flesh moves during surgical scenes is so visceral. I’ve seen a lot of flesh wounds in horror films and in real life, and the bodies, skin, and organs. The Mortuary Assistant (especially in the opening scene) looks so real that I skipped supper after watching it. And that’s saying something. Your girl likes to eat.
Co-written by the game’s creator, Brian Clarke, the movie dives deeper into the demonic mythology. Whether you’ve seen every ending or don’t know a scalpel from a trocar, the story is perfectly self-contained. If you’ve never played the game, or played it a hundred times, the film works equally well, which is hard to do when it comes to game adaptations.
Nailed It
This film does a lot of things right, but the isolation of the night shift is suffocating. Between the darkness of the hallways and the “residents” that refuse to stay still, the film delivers a relentlessly immersive experience. And thankfully, although this movie is filled with dark rooms and shadows, it’s easy to see every little thing. Don’t you hate it when a movie is so dark that you can’t see what’s happening? It’s one of my pet peeves.
The oh-so-awesome Jeremiah Kipp directs the film and has made something absolutely nightmare-inducing. Kipp recently joined us for an interview, took us inside the film, discussed its details and the game’s lore, and so much more. I urge you to check out our interview. He’s awesome!
The Verdict
This isn’t just a cash-grab; it’s a high-effort adaptation that respects the source material while elevating the horror genre. With incredible special effects and a powerhouse cast, it’s the kind of movie that will make you rethink working late ever again. Dropping on Friday the 13th, this is a must-watch for horror fans. It’s grisly, intelligent, and genuinely terrifying.
Entertainment
Former Live Nation executive says he was fired after raising ‘financial misconduct’ concerns
A former executive at Live Nation, the world’s largest live entertainment company, is suing the company, alleging that he was wrongfully terminated after he raised concerns about alleged financial misconduct and improper accounting practices.
Nicholas Rumanes alleges he was “fraudulently induced” in 2022 to leave a lucrative position as head of strategic development at a real estate investment trust to create a new role as executive vice president of development and business practice at Beverly Hills-based Live Nation.
In his new position, Rumanes said, he raised “serious and legitimate alarm” over the the company’s business practices.
As a result, he says, he was “unlawfully terminated,” according to the lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
“Rumanes was, simply put, promised one job and forced to accept another. And then he was cut loose for insisting on doing that lesser job with integrity and honesty,” according to the lawsuit.
He is seeking $35 million in damages.
Representatives for Live Nation were not immediately available for comment.
The lawsuit comes a week after a federal jury in Manhattan found that Live Nation and its Ticketmaster subsidiary had operated a monopoly over major concert venues, controlling 86% of the concert market.
Rumanes’ lawsuit describes a “culture of deception” at Live Nation, saying its “basic business model was to misstate and exaggerate financial figures in efforts to solicit and secure business.”
Such practices “spanned a wide spectrum of projects in what appeared to be a company-wide pattern of financial misrepresentation and misleading disclosures,” the lawsuit states.
Rumanes says he received materials and documents that showed that the company inflated projected revenues across multiple venue development projects.
Additionally, Rumanes contends that the company violated a federal law that requires independent financial auditing and transparency and instead ran Live Nation “through a centralized, opaque structure” that enables it to “bypass oversight and internal checks and balances.”
In 2010, as a condition of the Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger, the newly formed company agreed to a consent decree with the government that prohibited the firm from threatening venues to use Ticketmaster. In 2019 the Justice Department found that the company had repeatedly breached the agreement, and it extended the decree.
Rumanes contends that he brought his concerns to the attention of the company’s management, but his warnings were “repeatedly ignored.”
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