'Wicked' proves popular at box office, smashing 'Gladiator II'

Whether you were defying gravity or battling Colosseum sharks this weekend, chances are you were watching either Wicked or Gladiator II — the so-called "Glicked" pair smashed the box office in their opening weekend.

Jon M. Chu's adaptation of the musical starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande debuted in the U.S. this weekend, making $114 million at the domestic box office and $164 million globally, according to Box Office Mojo.

And yes, it's a record opening weekend for a Broadway musical adaptation, beating Into the Woods' top domestic opening from a decade ago ($31 million).

That's also a fair U.S. lead over blockbuster pal Gladiator II; Ridley Scott's epic sequel drew in $55.5 million domestic, although the total international takings for the film ($221 million) are currently above those of Wicked. Granted, Gladiator II has had more time at the international box office, premiering in Australia on Oct. 30 and releasing in the UK on Nov. 15.

There's no delusions of grandeur here; together, the combined "Glicked" pair raked in $170 million over the weekend in the U.S.

The biggest U.S. opening weekend of the year is still Deadpool & Wolverine, which opened to $211 million at the domestic box office, followed by Inside Out 2 with $155 million, but Wicked managed to scoot past Beetlejuice Beetlejuice at $111 million.

The total takings will be an interesting ride for Wicked and Gladiator II, and I'll be personally watching how many fans return for multiple viewings — in Wicked's case, maybe you couldn't actually hear the film over audience participation...