‘Wicked’ Gets New Release Date; to Clash with ‘Gladiator II’!!

The holiday release calendar is shifting again. Wicked, the hotly-anticipated big-screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, has moved its release date up five days, from November 27 to November 22. Deadline reports that the film will now arrive the weekend before the American Thanksgiving weekend, which greatly changes the nature of its competition.

With the release date change, Wicked avoids Disney‘s animated sequel Moana 2, but lands in the arena with Ridley Scott‘s sword-and-sandal sequel Gladiator II. This could lead to another “Barbenheimer” scenario, in which Oppenheimer, an R-rated, male-aimed historical film from an acclaimed director, faced off against Barbie, a film with a built-in female audience – and both won, leading to enormous box office dividends for both. Will this come to pass, leading to box office glory for both films? Or will audiences give the pairing a “thumbs down”, dumping a pail of water on future plans for the release of Wicked‘s second installment? Also, will anyone come up with a portmanteau title half as good as “Barbenheimer”?

What Can Audiences Expect From Wicked and Gladiator II?

Wicked comes from director Jon M. Chu, and is an adaptation of the hit stage musical by Steven Schwartz and Winnie Holzman. The musical itself is an adaptation of the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire, which itself was a take on L. Frank Baum‘s The Wizard of Oz. It follows the story of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), a green-skinned outcast with wicked witchery in her future, and her friend Galinda (Ariana Grande). Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, and Peter Dinklage also star in the film, which is being split into two halves, with the second expected to arrive in November 2025. Gladiator II is the much-anticipated sequel to the 2000 Russell Crowe Oscar-winner Gladiator. It is set decades after the original film; Lucius, the former heir to the empire, has grown up into Paul Mescal. He’s been living in exile, but destiny comes calling as he is enslaved and forced into the gladiatorial arena. Joining him there is a star-studded cast that includes Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, and Joseph Quinn.

Other movies that might challenge the Wicked–Gladiator due for box office supremacy this holiday season include Robert Zemeckis‘ Tom Hanks/Robin Wright reunion Here, the A24 Hugh Grant horror Heretic, and the Christmas action comedy Red One, all of which will come out the week prior.