The Thanksgiving weekend of major movie releases has broken box office records, with a total of $420 million, surpassing the previous record of $315.6 million. The releases of “Wicked,” “Gladiator II,” and “Moana II” contributed to this success. “Moana II” alone grossed $221 million, breaking records for the biggest five-day opening and the biggest Thanksgiving debut ever. The film follows Moana on a journey to break a Polynesian god’s curse and save her people. “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” also performed well, with “Wicked” becoming the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation domestically. The double feature of “Wicked” and “Gladiator II,” dubbed “Glicked,” created a cultural moment reminiscent of the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon the previous summer. The counterprogramming of the lively Broadway tunes of “Wicked” and the action-packed battles of “Gladiator II” appealed to different audiences and generated social media buzz, leading to strong box office performance. The strategic release dates of the films, just before Thanksgiving, also contributed to their success, as families gathered for the holiday season. Overall, the combination of exciting new releases, successful marketing strategies, and strong word-of-mouth has created a lucrative holiday stretch for movie theaters.
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