Last summer, the Barbenheimer box office craze reminded us how fun it was to run to the theater to see two different films we were eagerly awaiting. Fast forward a year and we now have three sets of titles going head to head this fall and winter. But, only one pair will likely touch the impact that Oppenheimer and Barbie created.
Film enthusiasts everywhere will have a ball this fall as November and December give us six highly anticipated releases: Wicked, Gladiator II, Sonic 3, Mufasa: The Lion King, A Complete Unknown, and Nosferatu. Whether you enjoy biopics, fantasy, or live adaptations of your favorite animated characters, there’s something for everyone to be excited for. Let’s take a deeper look into the match-ups that’ll be duking it out.
November 22nd: Wicked vs. Gladiator II
This doubleheader has the potential to imitate the success of Barbenheimer (Oppenheimer almost reaching $1 billion, clocking in at $975 million and Barbie crossing the threshold at $1.5 billion). Wicked stars pop princess Ariana Grande as Glinda in her first major role since her TV days on Nickelodeon’s Victorious, Sam & Cat and Scream Queens. She is joined by powerhouse Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and a slew of others including Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, and Peter Dinklage. Wicked carries a large fandom on its own, as it’s loosely based on Gregory Maguire’s novel of the same name, and has one of the longest and most successful runs on Broadway.
In the other corner, we have Gladiator II, the sequel to the film that made Russell Crowe a household name 24 years ago. Director Ridley Scott tapped some big names like Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, Pedro Pascal, and sees Paul Mescal in the lead role.
This is another case of “girls night out and boys night out,” as it’s highly likely Wicked will draw more women like Barbie did, and Gladiator 2 will bring out the guys. Of course, many will go see both, making it a busy weekend for theaters. But who ultimately has what it takes to come out on top? Wicked wins for many reasons. For starters, the visuals are absolutely stunning, making it quite the sight to see. The cherry on top would be that Grande has an enormous fan base that is loyal to the bone and will show up for their favorite gal. This is not to say Gladiator II won’t do well; it just doesn’t have as large of a pre-existing interest as Wicked does. Only time will tell as we are only three months away from their releases.
December 20th: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 vs. Mufasa: The Lion King
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 recently had a new trailer release that finally gives us a first look (well, sound) of Keanu Reeves as Shadow. The news of his casting shocked social media when it was announced, as many have long speculated Hayden Christensen was to voice the villain via rumors. Nonetheless, the gang’s all back, including James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Ben Schwartz, Idris Elba, and even Jim Carrey who mentioned he would be retiring from acting unless something caught his eye. The opposing flick is Mufasa: The Lion King, a follow up to the 2019 live action depiction of the beloved Disney classic.
This one could be a bit tough to guess who might come out on top at the box office. A few years ago, Mufasa would have been the sure pick, but once Sonic received that makeover, fans flocked to the theater, ultimately calling for two more installments to be greenlit. While this could be nostalgia just speaking to our inner child, unfortunately, the trailer wasn’t strong enough to convince viewers the relationship between Mufasa and Scar is worth exploring. If we had to choose, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will win by a knockout.
December 25th: Nosferatu vs. A Complete Unknown
Christmas releases typically do well, as theaters are open on the holiday for families to flock to after stuffing their faces and opening gifts. Nosferatu got its first preview back in April at CinemaCon and Black Girl Nerds was in attendance to see the initial trailer during Universal’s presentation. The reactions from the audience was a uniform “FINALLY” as fans have been eagerly awaiting this adaptation.
It has a mind-blowingly stacked cast composed of Lily Rose-Depp, Bill Skarsgård, Willem Dafoe, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nicholas Hoult, Ralph Ineson and Emma Corrin. Written and directed by Robert Eggers, the tale dives into the obsession a vampire has with a young woman (sounds like Twilight). The opposing contender is A Complete Unknown, the Bob Dylan biopic that stars Timotheé Chalamet as the legend.
Before you write this title off assuming Nosferatu will dominate, It’s important to note, much like Grande, Chalamet carries a fanbase that will descend upon any theater to catch a glimpse of this generation’s troubador. To add to it all, some moviegoers might not care to watch a darker flick on Christmas Day, pushing them to choose the lighter choice between the two. When it’s all said and done, we have to predict a winner and Nosferatu takes the W, predictably being the more entertaining option to go see, as the younger viewers may not be familiar or interested in Dylan or his life.
To recap, we predict the box office winners for the last of the 2024 box office battles will be Wicked, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and Nosferatu.