“Gladiator II” also gave the box office a boost this weekend, landing in second with $55.5 million, CNBC reported. Twenty-four years after Ridley Scott’s Oscar-winning movie hit theaters, the acclaimed director returned for a sequel led by Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn.

The musical adaptation "Wicked" and action epic "Gladiator II" racked up a combined $270.2 million in global ticket sales over the weekend, a gift to cinemas heading into what may be a record-setting holiday season.

Battling a 27 percent decline in domestic ticket sales compared with before the pandemic, studios left no marketing drum unthumped in releasing the movies.