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Will ‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator 2’ be this year’s ‘Barbenheimer’? The internet weighs in

Both potential blockbusters hit theaters on November 22, 2024.

Photo of Mike Hadge

Mike Hadge

gladiator 2 wicked part 1

If you were hanging around with any theater kids/adults yesterday, you undoubtedly heard the news, likely screamed, that the release date for Jon M. Chu and Universal’s Wicked: Part 1 has been bumped up five days from its initial date of November 27, 2024. 

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Wicked’s release date jumps forward

What that means, besides the sound of “Defying Gravity” being screlted on every street corner in America five days earlier, is that Wicked: Part 1 now shares a release date with Ridley Scott’s highly-anticipated Gladiator sequel, starring Pedro Pascal and Paul Mescal (it’s a ‘scal-a-palooza!).

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The matchup now has many speculating if the shared release date means that we’ve got our next “Barbenheimer,” 2023’s cinema-going bonanza featuring pink outfits, old-timey hats and everyone’s favorite, atoms!

Will Gladiator 2 and Wicked lead to Barbenheimer 2.0?

Now that both movies will be released on November 22nd, the pairing already has the internet abuzz with anticipation for another seven-hour trip to the cineplex. 

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However, some argue that “Barbenheimer” was a true once-in-a-generation experience and we can’t force it to be replicated just because two release dates match up. 

Either way, time will tell if “Wickiator” becomes a thing. I’ll be wicked glad if it does.


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