A scene from the film "Wicked." (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures)
The release of the films "Oppenheimer and "Barbie" in 2023 created a huge buzz as moviegoers flooded theaters to see the films.
Both movies were released on the same day, July 21, 2023, and had major success at the box office creating a cultural phenomenon among fans and a social media-fueled combination of the film’s names known as "Barbenheimer."
RELATED: 'Barbenheimer' weekend strikes box office gold
And this year, there is a buzz among fans that "Glicked" could be the updated version of "Barbenheimer."
What is Glicked?
"Glicked" is a fusion of the movie titles "Wicked" and "Gladiator II" which debuted in theaters on Friday.
"Wicked" is based on the beloved musical and book that has the same name, and stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West); Ariana Grande as Glinda (the good witch); Michelle Yeoh as the headmistress at their school, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero; Ethan Slater as Boq; Marissa Bode as Nessarose, Elphaba’s favored sister, and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz.
A scene from the film "Wicked." (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures)
RELATED: ‘Gladiator II’ trailer released: Cast includes Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal
"Gladiator II" is a sequel to the hit 2000 movie and the story continues the epic saga set in Ancient Rome and features a cast starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, and Derek Jacobi.
The Associated Press reported that "Gladiator II" and "Wicked" topped Fandango’s most anticipated holiday movie survey, where 65% of respondents said that they were interested in the "Glicked" double feature.
FILE-(L-R) Sir Ridley Scott, Paul Mescal, Connie Nielsen, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger & Denzel Washington attend the Royal Film Performance and Global Premiere of "Gladiator II" at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on November 13, 2024 i …
"Glicked" is currently tracking for a combined North American debut in the $165 million range, with "Wicked" forecast to earn around $100 million (up from the $80 million estimates a few weeks ago) and "Gladiator II" pegged for the $65 million range, according to the Associated Press.
RELATED: ‘Wicked’ movie theater release date changes
"Barbenheimer" exceeded expectations last July. Going into that weekend, "Barbie" had been projected for $90 million and "Oppenheimer" roughly $40 million. Ultimately, the films raked in a combined $244 million in that first outing, and almost $2.4 billion by the end of their runs.