'Barbenheimer' In 2024? 'Wicked' And 'Gladiator 2' Share Theatrical Release Date

It seems that we're seeing a repeat of a film release trend that we saw last year in 2023. The phenomenon of 'Barbenheimer' may see another repeat in 2024 as the movies 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator 2', two very different films, will have the same release date of November 22nd, 2024.

These release dates for the film weren't always aligned this way. 'Wicked' initially had its release date set on thanksgiving, which would have been around November 27th, but shifted it five days back to the 22nd. 'Gladiator 2' on the other hand will actually release in the United Kingdom early, on November 15th. The worldwide release will only occur on the 22nd.

'Wicked' is a movie that explores the backstory of the 'Wicked Witch Of The West' from the popular children's story, The Wizard Of Oz. The movie will be primarily kid-friendly in its themes and presentation, which is in stark contrast to 'Gladiator 2'. 'Gladiator 2' is a movie that will act as the sequel to the original Ridley Scott's 'Gladiator' which released in 2000. Both movies are serious historical dramas that cover politics, conflict, and violence. Certainly not a very kid-friendly watch.

Both 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator 2' match the contrast between 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer' as well, with Barbie being a primarily kid friendly movie, and 'Oppenheimer' being an adult-oriented historical drama. This, and the fact that both 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer' shared the same release date, that being July 21st, 2023, led fans to make the 'Barbenheimer' comparison.

Still, a proper hashtag for 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator 2' hasn't come up yet. #WickedGladiator perhaps? No, it doesn't have the same ring as 'Barbenheimer'. Fans will surely come up with something catchy for it.