Gladiator II star Paul Mescal is a big fan of Wicked, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo

Movie buffs wondered whether there would be room for both Gladiator II and Wicked to thrive in cinemas, but that appears to be the case so far, with the two films collectively grossing more than $270 million over their shared opening weekend.

Wicked is currently outpacing Gladiator II by a significant margin, but it seems that won't be troubling Mescal if his interview with Attitude is any indication.

Quizzed on the match-up, he said: "I met Cynthia [Erivo] and Ariana [Grande, stars of Wicked] at the Academy Gala very briefly, and I’ve seen the film. I think they’re both extraordinary.

"And I’m a musical theatre guy, I’m a big advocate for that film."

"Give it whatever title you want to give it," continued Mescal, referring to the commonly used 'Glicked'. "[Barbenheimer] was an amazing thing for cinema in general.

"If we can get people in the door for both films, not only is it great for us, it’s great for Wicked, but it’s great for the cinema industry in general. So, if you like cinema, support it."

All eyes are on this weekend's box office, when the combined might of 'Glicked' will be facing a major new contender in the form of Disney's Moana 2, which is expected to be a juggernaut – particularly in the US, where many are celebrating Thanksgiving.

Admittedly, Glicked has been a smaller scale success than Barbenheimer, which dominated July 2023 and resurged during that year's awards season, but it's still a much-needed win for a business yet to fully rebound from the pandemic.

Gladiator II and Wicked are in cinemas now.

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