Battling a 27 percent decline in domestic ticket sales compared with before the pandemic, studios left no marketing drum unthumped in releasing the movies.

“Wicked” collected an additional $50.2 million at the international box office, bringing its global tally to $164.2 million. It marks the biggest worldwide opening for a film based on a Broadway show, supplanting another Universal musical, “Les Miserables,” with $103 million in 2012.

“Gladiator II” also gave the box office a boost this weekend, landing in second with $55.5 million, CNBC reported. Twenty-four years after Ridley Scott’s Oscar-winning movie hit theaters, the acclaimed director returned for a sequel led by Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn.