Wicked” and “Gladiator II” both drew less in Thursday previews than their “Barbenheimer” counterparts, but are still expected to help the fall box office.

This weekend, Wicked and Gladiator II are set to battle at the box office. Can Glicked emulate the success of Barbenheimer?The Latest Tech News, Delivered to Your Inbox

Wicked offers a gravity-defying origin story for the Wicked Witch of the West, while Gladiator II revisits the violence of ancient Rome.

Wicked,' starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, and 'Gladiator II,' starring Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal, both open wide this weekend.

"Barbenheimer" was a phenomenon impossible to manufacture. But, more than a year later, that hasn't stopped people from trying to make "Glicked" — or even "Babyratu" — happen. See an interview with the "Gladiator II" cast in the video above The counterprogramming of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" in July 2023 hit a nerve culturally and had the receipts to back it up.

Glicked' rolls off the tongue a little bit more,” actor Fred Hechinger said at the New York screening of “Gladiator II” this week. “I think we should all band around ‘Glicked.’ It gets too confusing if you have four or five different names for it.

Fans of 'Wicked' have been thrilled to see the behind-the-scenes photos since filming started, with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo portraying Glinda and Elphaba respectively. Mea