Blockbuster Wicked lands largest opening weekend of 2024 at Vue
A boss for cinema chain Vue International said it had seen a "sea of pink and green over the opening weekend of Wicked".
Monday 25 November 2024 08:24, UK
Blockbuster Wicked has landed the largest opening weekend of 2024 at Vue International.
The film, starring Oscar-nominated actress Cynthia Erivo and Grammy-winning pop star Ariana Grande as Elphaba and Glinda, surpassed both Gladiator II and Paddington In Peru.
It has also had the largest opening weekend for a stage musical adaptation in the cinema chain's history.
A boss for Vue International said it had seen a "sea of pink and green" over the weekend.
Released on Friday, Wicked is up 60% on Les Miserables' opening weekend in 2012 and three times larger than the 2022 film adaptation of Matilda.
Founder and chief executive of Vue International Tim Richards said: "Vue has seen a sea of pink and green over the opening weekend of Wicked, which has shown continued high demand for the big screen experience.
"We saw record-breaking pre-sales for Wicked, followed by a chart-topping opening weekend - the biggest for 2024."
The film is the first of two parts, with the second expected in November next year.
Wicked and Gladiator II - known together as Glicked - have reportedly failed to beat out Barbenheimer, Barbie and Oppenheimer, in its own opening weekend last summer.
Read more from Sky News:
Leicester City sack manager
Bar staff to be trained to deal with drink spiking
Army officer charged over dummy grenade alert at airport
Glicked brought in £215m in worldwide ticket sales - with Wicked making the majority of that.