'Gladiator II,' 'Wicked' battle for North American box office honors

Hollywood got respite from a slack few months as two much-anticipated new films -- Universal's "Wicked: Part I" and "Gladiator II" from Paramount -- roared to the top of the North American box office this weekend.

"Wicked," the latest take on 1939's beloved "Wizard of Oz," took in an estimated $114 million for the Friday-through-Sunday period, said industry watcher Exhibitor Relations.

"This is a sensational opening for the start of a new adventure fantasy series," said analyst David A. Gross, who cited "superb" reviews and audience scores.

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"Wicked" scored one of the biggest openings ever for a big-screen musical, according to The Hollywood Reporter -- good news for the film's investors, with "Wicked: Part 2" set to be released next year.

Critics say Cynthia Erivo's turn as green-skinned heroine Elphaba is showstopping, while pop music star Ariana Grande, another vocal powerhouse, plays fellow witch Glinda.

"Gladiator II," the long-awaited sequel to 2000's Oscar-winning "Gladiator," put up big enough weekend numbers—$55.5 million—that fans are linking it to "Wicked" with portmanteaux like "Glicked" and "Wickiator."

Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, and a delightfully evil Denzel Washington star are in a story set in ancient Rome years after the original "Gladiator."

Durable director Ridley Scott (he turns 87 next week), weaves a tale of ruthless ambition and retribution, spicing up the original by bringing sharks, baboons and a rhinoceros into the blood-soaked arena.

Last weekend's box-office leader, Christmas comedy "Red One" from Amazon and MGM, earned $13.3 million for third place. Dwayne ("The Rock") Johnson plays a North Pole security officer trying to find a kidnapped Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons) on Christmas Eve.

Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, Connie Nielsen, Ridley Scott, Paul Mescal, Fred Hechinger, and Pedro Pascal pose during the Royal Film Performance and Global Premiere of "Gladiator II" in Leicester Square in London, Britain on November 13, 2024. Eddie Mulholland/Pool via REUTERS

Fourth place went to Angel Studios' new historical drama "Bonhoeffer," at $5.1 million. It tells the story of German pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who preached a message of love, detested the Nazi dictatorship, and was accused of involvement in a plot to assassinate Hitler. German actor Jonas Dassler stars.

In fifth was Sony's "Venom: The Last Dance," at $4 million. Tom Hardy stars.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

"The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" ($3.5 million)

"Heretic" ($2.2 million)

"The Wild Robot" ($2 million)

"Smile 2" ($1.1 million)

"A Real Pain" ($1.1 million)