Wicked” and “Gladiator II” both drew less in Thursday previews than their “Barbenheimer” counterparts, but are still expected to help the fall box office.

The films are both big studio releases with one-name titles, opposite tones and aesthetics and big blockbuster energy.

As most have by now picked up, two disparate, big-budget films are sharing a release date: One, an R-rated historical epic stacked with a starry cast of Oscar hopefuls. The other, a musical based on a beloved property with plenty of

Glicked' rolls off the tongue a little bit more,” actor Fred Hechinger said at the New York screening of “Gladiator II” this week. “I think we should all band around ‘Glicked.’ It gets too confusing if you have four or five different names for it.

Paramount Pictures Two very different, very anticipated movies are headed into theaters Friday, and some prognosticators say it could lead to a new “Barbenheimer” box office bonanza. Wicked and Gladiator II are Friday’s big openers,