Can ‘Gladiator II’ and ‘Wicked’ become this year’s ‘Barbenheimer’?

CNN — This year, two disparate, big-budget films will share a release date: One, an R-rated historical epic stacked with a starry cast of Oscar hopefuls. Both “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” were major films with astronomical hype from respected auteurs, but even the studios couldn’t have predicted that audiences would make both films appointment viewing over the same weekend, he said. Here was indie staple and Oscar nominee Greta Gerwig helming her biggest film yet about the country’s most famous doll –– even those less familiar with her work were eager to see whether she could pull off “Barbie.” “Oppenheimer” director Christopher Nolan also has a distinct style and a dedicated fanbase, which has cemented Nolan as a reliable box office draw, with six of his 12 films making between half a billion to over $1 billion worldwide. The prolific Ridley Scott of “Gladiator II” has made classics like “Blade Runner,” “Alien” and “Thelma and Louise.” But his more recent films haven’t “moved the needle” like his earlier work, Nunan said. “I think the fact that ‘Wicked’ is a musical actually limits its long term box office appeal,” Nunan said.