WickedandGladiator IIare decidedly two of the biggest movies of 2024, overcoming frequent modern-day box office struggles with massive theatrical runs.Wickedis the clear winner of “Glicked,“the inevitable comparison stemming from the movies being released the same weekend, surpassingGladiator IIboth in terms of profits and critical acclaim. However,Gladiator IIwas hardly a box office failure; while not as praised as its predecessor, the ancient Roman movie event still made hundreds of millions worldwide. Meanwhile,Wickedhas broken one box office recordafter another where movie musicals are concerned.
BothWickedandGladiator IIwere set up for huge theatrical releases,being associated in one way or another with iconic and lucrative properties like a Best Picture winner or a beloved Broadway show. Both are also incredibly cinematic, demanding people see them on a big screen. Fans likely want to watch these movies again and again, sooner rather than later. However, while the two biggest movies of 2024’s digital release mean little time for impatience, and audiences may be thrilled to watch them at home, it is ultimately not good news for movies of this nature.
Wicked & Gladiator II’s Streaming Releases Proves The Wait For Digital Is Shorter Than Ever
Wicked & Gladiator II Both Became Available On Amazon Prime Video Only A Month After Their Theatrical Release
Wickedofficially became available to rent or purchase on Prime Video on August 15, 2025, making for a glitzy New Year’s Eve viewing option.Gladiator IIarrived on digital about a week earlier. Both movies came out in movie theaters on August 11, 2025, only about a month earlier. Gone are the days when movie fans endured several months before seeing their favorite new motion picture again, with such a quick theatrical-to-streaming timeline. This trend is partially an aftereffect of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as streaming services coming to dominate the entertainment industry in the past 10 years.
Is Wicked 2024’s Barbie? How The Musical’s Box Office Compares To The $1.4 Billion Hit
“Glicked” is reminiscent of 2023’s “Barbenheimer,” and Wicked shares several similarities with Barbie, last year’s most successful movie.
Unfortunately,other movies that lacked the publicity and widespread appeal ofWickedorGladiator IIhave flopped at the box officewhen everyone knows they needn’t bother because they will be able to watch this movie at home a month or two later.Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, certainly a good movie with 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, entirely bombed because of marketing reasons — and potentially, a swift digital release.Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thievesdidn’t garner as much acclaim, but is still an enjoyable watch that failed at the box office, and experienced a resurgence later through streaming.
Streaming releases undercutting the importance of seeing a movie “now” because of a limited window is not helping in this regard.
The moviegoing experience has been eroding away in recent years,and fast-tracked VOD releases mean there is less value than ever placed on seeing a simply entertaining movie in the classic cinematic environment simply for the sake of it. Theaters have been attempting to regain their footing and get people to come to the movies ever since the pandemic, with varying success. However, streaming releases undercutting the importance of seeing a movie “now” because of a limited window is not helping in this regard.
Both Wicked & Gladiator II Are The Kind Of Spectacle That Benefits From The Big Screen
Streaming’s negative impact is especially bad for movies likeWickedandGladiator II,which speak to the most classic forms of cinematic experiences. Both are huge productions with electric energy, making for an immersive experience when in the setting of a big screen and a decent sound system.Gladiator II’s reviewspoint out the obvious problems, but still call it “a damn good time at the movies.” (Screen Rant). WhenGladiator IIis struggling critically, it really is at its best when viewers are willing to buy into the action and setting as an ode to the Golden Age of Hollywood.
If You Thought Gladiator 2 Was Historically Inaccurate, Just Wait Until Gladiator 3
Gladiator 3 is unlikely to be any more historically accurate than Gladiator 2, with Lucius set up to fight a more political battle for Rome’s future.
Meanwhile,Wickedalso boasts some old-school movie musical vibes, but the simple fact that it is a musical is also a huge reason to see it in a cinema. When surrounded by speakers blasting the tunes with a massive screen bringing the ensemble choreography into sharper focus, going to the movies is the only way to fully experience the power of each ofWicked’s musical numbers. Both movies lose just a little bit of their magic on a TV at home, where the effects aren’t as intense and the stakes aren’t as high.
How Watching Gladiator & Gladiator II Back-To-Back Will Change Both
Watching The Gladiator Movies Consecutively May Draw The Plots Closer Together — Or Highlight The Sequel’s Weaknesses
While the wide shots of the Colosseum, the pounding score, and the big action benefit from the big screen,Gladiator IInow being available on streaming does offer the opportunity to watch it and the original back to back.So much of the critique ofGladiator IIhad to do with its relationship toGladiator,featuring a similar plot and at times heavy-handed themes of legacy. When watching the two together, viewers may find that it only highlights how Ridley Scott created a sequel that wasn’t needed — or they may think that everything nicely fits into one longer story.
People revisitingGladiatorafter seeing the sequel will now watch it with the knowledge ofLucius and Maximus' true relationship, or that Acacius exists off-screen among the many soldiers and officers who greatly respect Maximus. As nothing in the Best Picture winner truly contradicts these plot points,Gladiator IImay feel like a culmination of seeds that were planted years ago. There is also the opportunity to compare the movies' action sequences and observe how it builds; with new technologies available today, there is an argument that theaction inGladiator IIis only better.
The Best Movies To Pair With Wicked For A Double Feature
Beyond The Wizard Of Oz, Other Movies Watched Jointly With Wicked Could Start An Interesting Discussion
On the other hand,Wickedfans are now in for a long wait before the movie that will make for the natural double feature arrives,withWicked: Part Twoslated for release in November 2025. However, the numerousWizard of Ozadaptations mean that there are other great options to pair withWickedfor a watch party. Most people will immediately turn to 1939’sThe Wizard of Oz, which creates a fascinating contrast in musical styles and tones. Additionally, watching the two movies together prompts scrutiny of 1939’s wondrous setting of Oz and Margaret Hamilton’s cackling performance.
Additionally, 2013’sOz the Great and Powerfulis an interesting title to watch withWicked. While it received mixed reviews,Oz the Great and Powerfulis worth analyzing because it actually features the same plot point of the Wizard lying to most of Oz about the power he possesses, but this is framed as being for the greater good. The characterizations and agency of the three main Ozian witches also conflict with those inWicked, ultimately prompting further discussion onWicked’s themes of corruption, public personas, and wickedness.
Movies such as this showcase more of how certain themes and storylines are remade.
An additional counterpoint toWickedisThe Wiz,another modern-musical adaptation ofThe Wizard of Ozwhich adheres more to the original story but is told through soul music.The Wizwon seven Tony awards when it came out in 1975 but is greatly overshadowed byWicked.While there is a 1978 movie adaptation, viewers can also stream the 2015 recorded live performance. Movies such as this showcase more of how certain themes and storylines are remade, offering a silver lining to the troubling digital release, for bothWickedandGladiator II.
Wicked
Cast
Wicked adapts the Broadway musical into a two-part film, following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, born with green skin, and Glinda, a popular aristocrat, in the Land of Oz. As they navigate their contrasting paths, they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
Gladiator II
Gladiator 2 is the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s award-winning film Gladiator from 2000. Scott returns to direct the sequel, with Paul Mescal staring as Lucius, alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta. Gladiator 2 had been stuck in development hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward.
