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Wicked and Gladiator 2 Storm Theaters This Weekend
A one-two punch of box office heavy hitters is arriving! Plus, our preview of Obsidian's upcoming RPG, Avowed.
Michael Ahr
November 22, 2024
Volume I, Issue 4 November 22, 2024
It’s a big box office weekend for the most talked about films of the fall season: Wicked and Gladiator 2. But can they rise to the power of ‘Barbenheimer’ to create their own (Glicked? Wickiator?) synergy in theaters?
We’re not just previewing the box office winners, though. Go behind the scenes of Obsidian’s much-anticipated RPG, Avowed, as we discover that it might not be the game people are expecting.
— Michael Ahr
MOVIES
Wicked and Gladiator 2: Are We Getting Barbenheimer 2.0?
Photo: Universal / Paramount
Conventional wisdom suggests that musicals like Wicked must fail because a handful of other movies in the same genre did three years ago, or that since the time of the original Gladiator movie the ancient period piece epic is dead because even Ridley Scott couldn’t make The Last Duel a hit.
This way of thinking is about to be tested to the extreme this weekend! With tonight’s premiere, Wicked will finally unleash its popularity on the big screen, and Gladiator II will make landfall in the U.S. after a robust international debut overseas.
The growing anticipation has even caused more than a few prognosticators to wonder… are we on the precipice of Barbenheimer 2.0?
Well… yes and no.
TODAY’S QUIZ
Fans of which sci-fi book series have carried a towel with them every May 25, aka “Towel Day,” since 2001? |
GAMES
Avowed: Obsidian’s New Game Is Not the RPG You’re Expecting
Photo: Xbox
Let’s make something very clear: Avowed is not meant to be a Skyrim-like open-world RPG experience. Yet this highly-anticipated game which Den of Geek recently previewed, is likey to be judged by the inevitable comparisons, creating expectations it was never meant to meet.
Although it only took couple of hours of playing Avowed to confirm that it’s very much its own thing, what was harder to figure out was what Avowed is ultimately trying to be or how it is going to get there.
The game looks and sounds better than it did in early hands-off previews, and hopefully its presentation will continue to improve in the next few months, but the verdict is still out on its storytelling, its visuals, and its technical performance.
EDITOR’S PICKS
 | Deadpool’s Weird Transition from Edgelord to Disney Family Movie HeroDeadpool has a reputation for pushing boundaries, but Deadpool & Wolverine completes his transformation into Marvel's latest family friendly star. |
 | The Original Gladiator 2 Saw Russell Crowe Return as an Immortal Time TravelerWe examine the road to Gladiator II not taken in a 2001 screenplay by Nick Cave. |
 | How to Train Your Dragon Needs to Overcome Disney Remakes’ Worst FlawDreamWorks Animation can separate How to Train Your Dragon from the pack if they avoid one of Disney's crucial mistakes. |
"This weekend is a great time to catch up on comedy favorites like the just-added-to-Netflix A.P. Bio and the latest season of Abbott Elementary on Hulu."
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— Den of Geek News! (@DenofGeekUS)
4:19 PM • Nov 21, 2024
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