Two Of 2024's Biggest New Movies Are Already Available To Watch At Home & It's Bad News For Hollywood

Wicked and Gladiator II are decidedly two of the biggest movies of 2024, overcoming frequent modern-day box office struggles with massive theatrical runs. Wicked is the clear winner of "Glicked," the inevitable comparison stemming from the movies being released the same weekend, surpassing Gladiator II both in terms of profits and critical acclaim. However, Gladiator II was hardly a box office failure; while not as praised as its predecessor, the ancient Roman movie event still made hundreds of millions worldwide. Meanwhile, Wicked has broken one box office record after another where movie musicals are concerned.

Both Wicked and Gladiator II were set up for huge theatrical releases, being associated in one way or another with iconic and lucrative properties like a Best Picture winner or a beloved Broadway show. Both are also incredibly cinematic, demanding people see them on a big screen. Fans likely want to watch these movies again and again, sooner rather than later. However, while the two biggest movies of 2024's digital release mean little time for impatience, and audiences may be thrilled to watch them at home, it is ultimately not good news for movies of this nature.

Wicked & Gladiator II's Streaming Releases Proves The Wait For Digital Is Shorter Than Ever

Wicked & Gladiator II Both Became Available On Amazon Prime Video Only A Month After Their Theatrical Release

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Wicked officially became available to rent or purchase on Prime Video on December 31, 2024, making for a glitzy New Year's Eve viewing option. Gladiator II arrived on digital about a week earlier. Both movies came out in movie theaters on November 22, 2024, only about a month earlier. Gone are the days when movie fans endured several months before seeing their favorite new motion picture again, with such a quick theatrical-to-streaming timeline. This trend is partially an aftereffect of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as streaming services coming to dominate the entertainment industry in the past 10 years.

Unfortunately, other movies that lacked the publicity and widespread appeal of Wicked or Gladiator II have flopped at the box office when everyone knows they needn't bother because they will be able to watch this movie at home a month or two later. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, certainly a good movie with 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, entirely bombed because of marketing reasons — and potentially, a swift digital release. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves didn't garner as much acclaim, but is still an enjoyable watch that failed at the box office, and experienced a resurgence later through streaming.

Streaming releases undercutting the importance of seeing a movie "now" because of a limited window is not helping in this regard.

The moviegoing experience has been eroding away in recent years, and fast-tracked VOD releases mean there is less value than ever placed on seeing a simply entertaining movie in the classic cinematic environment simply for the sake of it. Theaters have been attempting to regain their footing and get people to come to the movies ever since the pandemic, with varying success. However, streaming releases undercutting the importance of seeing a movie "now" because of a limited window is not helping in this regard.

What Wicked & Gladiator II Lose When You Watch Them At Home Instead Of In A Movie Theater

Both Wicked & Gladiator II Are The Kind Of Spectacle That Benefits From The Big Screen

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Streaming's negative impact is especially bad for movies like Wicked and Gladiator II, which speak to the most classic forms of cinematic experiences. Both are huge productions with electric energy, making for an immersive experience when in the setting of a big screen and a decent sound system. Gladiator II's reviews point out the obvious problems, but still call it "a damn good time at the movies." (Screen Rant). When Gladiator II is struggling critically, it really is at its best when viewers are willing to buy into the action and setting as an ode to the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Related If You Thought Gladiator 2 Was Historically Inaccurate, Just Wait Until Gladiator 3 Gladiator 3 is unlikely to be any more historically accurate than Gladiator 2, with Lucius set up to fight a more political battle for Rome's future.

Meanwhile, Wicked also boasts some old-school movie musical vibes, but the simple fact that it is a musical is also a huge reason to see it in a cinema. When surrounded by speakers blasting the tunes with a massive screen bringing the ensemble choreography into sharper focus, going to the movies is the only way to fully experience the power of each of Wicked's musical numbers. Both movies lose just a little bit of their magic on a TV at home, where the effects aren't as intense and the stakes aren't as high.

How Watching Gladiator & Gladiator II Back-To-Back Will Change Both

Watching The Gladiator Movies Consecutively May Draw The Plots Closer Together — Or Highlight The Sequel's Weaknesses

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While the wide shots of the Colosseum, the pounding score, and the big action benefit from the big screen, Gladiator II now being available on streaming does offer the opportunity to watch it and the original back to back. So much of the critique of Gladiator II had to do with its relationship to Gladiator, featuring a similar plot and at times heavy-handed themes of legacy. When watching the two together, viewers may find that it only highlights how Ridley Scott created a sequel that wasn't needed — or they may think that everything nicely fits into one longer story.

People revisiting Gladiator after seeing the sequel will now watch it with the knowledge of Lucius and Maximus' true relationship, or that Acacius exists off-screen among the many soldiers and officers who greatly respect Maximus. As nothing in the Best Picture winner truly contradicts these plot points, Gladiator II may feel like a culmination of seeds that were planted years ago. There is also the opportunity to compare the movies' action sequences and observe how it builds; with new technologies available today, there is an argument that the action in Gladiator II is only better.

The Best Movies To Pair With Wicked For A Double Feature

Beyond The Wizard Of Oz, Other Movies Watched Jointly With Wicked Could Start An Interesting Discussion

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On the other hand, Wicked fans are now in for a long wait before the movie that will make for the natural double feature arrives, with Wicked: Part Two slated for release in November 2025. However, the numerous Wizard of Oz adaptations mean that there are other great options to pair with Wicked for a watch party. Most people will immediately turn to 1939's The Wizard of Oz, which creates a fascinating contrast in musical styles and tones. Additionally, watching the two movies together prompts scrutiny of 1939's wondrous setting of Oz and Margaret Hamilton's cackling performance.

Additionally, 2013's Oz the Great and Powerful is an interesting title to watch with Wicked. While it received mixed reviews, Oz the Great and Powerful is worth analyzing because it actually features the same plot point of the Wizard lying to most of Oz about the power he possesses, but this is framed as being for the greater good. The characterizations and agency of the three main Ozian witches also conflict with those in Wicked, ultimately prompting further discussion on Wicked's themes of corruption, public personas, and wickedness.

Movies such as this showcase more of how certain themes and storylines are remade.

An additional counterpoint to Wicked is The Wiz, another modern-musical adaptation of The Wizard of Oz which adheres more to the original story but is told through soul music. The Wiz won seven Tony awards when it came out in 1975 but is greatly overshadowed by Wicked. While there is a 1978 movie adaptation, viewers can also stream the 2015 recorded live performance. Movies such as this showcase more of how certain themes and storylines are remade, offering a silver lining to the troubling digital release, for both Wicked and Gladiator II.