The highly anticipated “Wickediator” weekend is finally upon us, as Part One of Jon M. Chu’s Broadway adaptation premiered on the 2024 movie calendar on the same day as Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II. The witchy Wicked took top billing — and broke some records in the process — as it handily defeated the Roman Empire with its $114 million three-day opening.

Universal Pictures' 'Wicked' and Paramount Pictures' 'Gladiator II' post impressive numbers at the domestic box office this weekend.

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