Most of us likely remember “Barbenheimer,” when the movies Barbie and Oppenheimer were released over the same weekend and offered two major blockbuster films that audiences flocked to in theaters. Now, Paramount ($PARA) and Comcast’s ($CMCSA) Universal Studio are trying to repeat that same effect with “Glicked,” the release of movies Gladiator II and Wicked this weekend.
Barbenheimer proved an explosive success for the box office, pulling in much better numbers for both films than anyone expected. While some analysts expected the two films to be polarizing, audiences instead made a day of it, often seeing both films back-to-back.
The Barbenheimer concept led to impressive success at the box office. Barbie was projected to bring in between $140 million and $175 million on its opening weekend, while Oppenheimer was set to gross $52 million to $72 million. However, the Barbenheimer effect propelled Barbie to $162 million and Oppenheimer to $82 million. The new film Wicked is forecast to bring in $120 million to $140 million, while Gladiator II is projected to earn between $65 million and $75 million.
Can Lightning Strike Twice?
Early reports suggest that hoping for a Barbenheimer effect might be futile. Some analyst say lightning striking twice is unlikely this weekend with the “Glicked” films. Early reviews of the films themselves do not help matters either; as neither movie is up to the same high standards of the Barbenheimer movies.
Worse, Wicked is a two-parter, which means audiences will only get half the story up front. Gladiator II, meanwhile, is apparently “sillier” than its predecessor, which may not help matters.
Which Movie Stock is a Better Buy?
Turning to Wall Street, CMCSA is the leader here, as this Moderate Buy-rated stock offers 13.75% upside potential against an average price target of $49.47 per share. Meanwhile, PARA is the laggard of the two, as this Hold-rated stock with an average price target of $12.60 per share can only coax out a 13% upside potential.
