Wicked Archives

Stolen ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ are auctioned for $28 million

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A pair of ruby slippers that were worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” and stolen nearly two decades ago have fetched $28 million at auction. The iconic slippers were auctioned off to the highest bidder Saturday. Heritage Auctions had estimated that they would fetch $3 million or more. Including the auction house’s fee, the final cost to the buyer is $32.5 million. The slippers were on display at the Judy Garland Museum in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in 2005 when a thief used a hammer to smash the glass of the door and display case. Their whereabouts remained a mystery until the FBI recovered them in 2018.… Continue Reading

‘Moana 2’ sails to a record $221 million opening as Hollywood celebrates a moviegoing feast

NEW YORK (AP) — “Moana 2” brought in a tidal wave of moviegoers over the Thanksgiving Day weekend with $221 million in ticket sales. Studio estimates Sunday show that, combined with “Wicked” and “Gladiator II,” made for an unprecedented weekend in cinemas. “Moana 2″ blew predictions out of the water, setting a record for Thanksgiving moviegoing. At the same time, the sensation of “Wicked” showed no signs of slowing down with $117.5 million over the five-day weekend. “Gladiator II” collected $44 million. For an industry that’s been battered in recent years by the pandemic, work stoppages and streaming, it was a triumphant weekend that showed the still-potent power of Hollywood’s blockbuster machine.… Continue Reading

‘Wicked’ and ‘Gladiator’ make gravity-defying theater debuts

NEW YORK (AP) — “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” have debuted in theaters with a combined $270 million in ticket sales. Their worldwide performance breathed fresh life into global box office results that have struggled lately. Together the films turned the moviegoing weekend into one of the busiest of the year. Jon M. Chu’s lavish big-budget musical “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, debuted with $114 million domestically and $164.2 million globally. Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” is a sequel to his 2000 best picture-winning original and launched with $55.5 million in ticket sales. “Moana 2” is being released Wednesday, so it looks like Hollywood might be looking at historic sales over the Thanksgiving holiday.… Continue Reading