Paul Mescal Calls ‘Wicked’ “Extraordinary” as It Competes with ‘Gladiator II’ Release

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As excitement for Glicked soars, Paul Mescal is showing his support with a heartfelt applause.

The Oscar nominee commended the performances of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in Wicked following the premiere of the film adaptation directed by Jon M. Chu, which coincided with the release of his own film, Gladiator II, and the previous year’s Barbenheimer phenomenon.

“I briefly met Cynthia and Ariana at the Academy Gala and have seen the film,” he shared with Attitude. “They are both remarkable talents. As a musical theater enthusiast, I fully support that film.”

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In the midst of the Glicked excitement, Mescal remarked, “Call it whatever you like. [Barbenheimer] was incredible for cinema. If both films draw audiences, it benefits not just us but also Wicked and the film industry as a whole. So, if you love cinema, support it.”

Gladiator II features Mescal as Lucius, who as a child witnessed Maximus (played by Russell Crowe in the original 2000 film) being killed by his uncle Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). Now grown, Lucius must enter the Colosseum and fight to restore glory to Rome.

Based on the Broadway musical, Wicked tells the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West (Erivo), and Glinda, the Good Witch (Grande), as they meet at Shiz University and encounter the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum), leading to life-altering events.

Achieving significant box office success, Wicked grossed $164.2 million worldwide on its opening weekend, while Gladiator II earned $221 million after a strong international debut.

 

Person: Paul Mescal, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Jeff Goldblum
Company Names: Universal Pictures
Titles: Glicked, Wicked, Gladiator II

Disclaimer: This article has been auto-generated from a syndicated RSS feed and has not been edited by Vitrina staff. It is provided solely for informational purposes on a non-commercial basis.

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