Those of us who were preparing to flock to theatres for Wicked this fall probably thought our moviegoing outfits would come down to two choices: Do I wear pink or green? But after Universal bumped up the release date, the options are now between channeling Elphaba, Glinda, or… ancient Rome. (Or perhaps all of the above.)
Wicked: Part 1 will now open in theatres on November 22, the same day as Gladiator II, the sequel to Ridley Scott’s Russel Crowe-led epic, this time starring the newly buff Paul Mescal. The new slot will keep Wicked from going head to head with Moana 2, another highly anticipated sequel, during Thanksgiving the following week. But now, Wicked will compete with a very different kind of film. Though, maybe compete isn’t the right word. With the night-and-day pairing giving us flashbacks to Barbie and Oppenheimer weekend last summer, perhaps the best path forward is to lean into both films with the same fervour. Welcome back, Barbenheimer.
Or better yet: Welcome, Wickedliator. Or Wickliator. Wladiator? Gladicked?? Glicked???
‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator II’ will now be released on the same day in the US. pic.twitter.com/d4dnCn28Eh
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) July 1, 2024
The name needs some ironing out, but the aesthetic possibilities are endless. Imagine a witch hat with costume armour or gladiator sandals with a bubbly pink dress. Maybe you’re the Tin Man wearing a toga, or the Cowardly Lion wearing a civic crown of leaves, or a gladiator carrying a broom instead of a sword. Maybe you’re layering your emerald outfit with hints of orange and white to celebrate Paul Mescal’s Irish heritage. (Sorry, Italy.) Why not complete your Marcus Aurelius cosplay by painting your entire body green? Why not dress as Doctor Dillamond for both films? (I’m sure they had goats in ancient Rome, yes?)
Wicked and Gladiator 2 are both set to premiere on November 22!
Is this the new Barbenheimer? pic.twitter.com/iljjaazCds
— FilmFreeway (@FilmFreeway) July 2, 2024
If anything stood out to me at the movies this past year, it’s that some people really want to get dressed up for the theatre. Whether it was fans at the Eras or Renaissance tour films, or even the guy who dressed up as a Fremen and rode a “sand worm” into the theatre for Dune: Part Two, moviegoers love the opportunity to put on a themed costume. People wore pink, even if it wasn’t Wednesday, to the Mean Girls musical remake. Even if Furiosa didn’t turn out to be the summer blockbuster the industry had hoped for, you can sense people still want to go to the cinema for an event. People want to be a part of something. They want to be in on it, even if “it” is by panic or wanting a rat boyfriend (Challengers). To quote Nicole Kidman, they come to this place for magic. And sometimes that magic is a popcorn bucket shaped like Shai-Hulud or Wolverine’s wide-open mouth.
#Wickediator “Are you not entertained?!!!” November 22nd 😂 https://t.co/q18o4v29Kq
— Jon M. Chu (@jonmchu) July 2, 2024
Such phenomena have helped the economy, too. According to Morgan Stanley, cultural events like Barbenheimer, the Renaissance Tour, and Eras Tour together “stimulated enough PCE [personal-consumption expenditure] growth over the summer to translate to a stunning $8.5 billion in growth to the U.S. economy in the third quarter” of 2023, Variety reported. In those instances, the films already seemed set up for success: with two titles linked to global pop stars and one of them linked to a famous toy-making company, of course they were going to be wildly popular. Could any other title, or let alone any other pairing, repeat history?
History keeps repeating itself!!! #Wickediator 🫧⚔️ pic.twitter.com/Sgd9aoLrgK
— Arianas Tiktok (@GrandesTok) July 2, 2024
The thing to remember here is that this isn’t a moment to say, “Haha, look at this Girl Movie trying to compete with a Serious Boy Movie.” Instead let’s consider how these two movies, which could not be more different in vibe, can become cinematic events and appeal to such wide audiences. And in fact, it’s possible that movies starring two women, even one who wears pink, can be for everyone. (Unfortunately neither Wickleator film is directed by a woman, but Winnie Holzman wrote the Wicked screenplay and the book of the stage musical.) And if you thought women weren’t going to sprint to Gladiator II to see Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal in their sweaty armour or Denzel Washington in his little hoop earring, you have not done your market research.
🍿🔥 #AMC #Wickediator 🔥🍿 https://t.co/Oscz5mNIvn
— 🍿🎬 AMC Believer 🎬🍿 (@BSReviewsUK) July 3, 2024
One way to prove that gendered delineation wrong? Get the same audience to watch both movies. Maybe Paramount and Universal know exactly what they’re doing and are already tugging the strings for a Glicked marketing plan. Maybe trying to recreate the phenomena of Barbenheimer is like trying to catch lightning in a bottle. Or maybe at the end of the day this is all just an excuse to have some silly little fun at the movies, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Check out the Original Article At ELLE USA
