Are you ready for the new Barbenheimer? Because 2024 is the year of 'Glicked', allegedly. Don't know what that is? Scroll down to find out.
What is 'Glicked'?
Glicked is a term coined by rising star Paul Mescal, star of the upcoming Gladiator II. The film will be released on the same day, November 15th, as the all-singing, all-dancing Broadway musical movie Wicked. Hence, Glicked.
"Wickdiator doesn't really roll off the tongue, does it? I think my preference would probably be Glicked," Mescal, 28, recently told Entertainment Tonight.
"If it has a similar effect to what it did for Barbie and Oppenheimer, it would be amazing, 'cause I think the films couldn't be more polar opposites and it worked in that context previously. So fingers crossed people come out and see both films on opening weekend."
Will Glicked be the new Barbenheimer?
Hard to say. Christopher Nolan's atomic epic Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig's pastel-coloured Mattel adaptation Barbie happened to be released on the same day in July 2023. Many assumed that the two films would cancel each other out to the detriment of their box office performances.
In fact, quite the opposite happened with audiences sharing equally in Nolan's coruscating vision and Gerwig's delightfully sharp sense of humour. Oppenheimer grossed more than $900 million worldwide and went on to win Best Picture and Best Director (Nolan's first) at the Oscars. Barbie, meanwhile, became 2023's biggest hit with grosses of more than $1.5 billion.
In short, Barbenheimer wasn't simply about the unlikely collision between two wildly different films. It was a cultural milestone that reinforced the magic of a big screen experience as a communal joy, reminding us how films can stretch the boundaries in opposing but equally stimulating ways.
Will Glicked have the same effect? It's worth noting that Barbenheimer happened spontaneously whereas Glicked is being calculated in advance, thereby weighing it down with a greater sense of expectation.
There's no denying that Gladiator II comes with an illustrious pedigree. Ridley Scott's original Gladiator film was one of the highest-grossing movies released in 2000 and won the Oscars for Best Picture and Best Actor (Russell Crowe). Gladiator II picks up with the now-adult Lucius (played by Mescal) as he's enslaved and reluctantly transforms into a gladiatorial champion.
Wicked also has the advantage of in-built audience expectations. The Broadway production on which the film is based is one of the most successful in the world, showcasing show tunes from the renowned Stephen Schwartz as it riffs on the backstory of The Wizard of Oz villain Elphaba. Musician and actor Cynthia Erivo plays Elphaba while Ariana Grande plays Glinda, the good witch.
Both movies are, therefore, known properties and stand to make commercial and artistic gains. But do audiences have the latitude to share in these two tent pole releases when they're released on the same day?
While we speculate on that, click the following link and discover how Cineworld celebrated Barbenheimer in 2023.
DISCOVER BARBENHEIMER CINEWORLD HIGHLIGHTS
When are Gladiator 2 and Wicked being released in the UK?
Gladiator II and Wicked are both released on November 15th. Click the links below to find out more about them.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WICKED
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