People Ask The Media To Stop Trying To Make 'Glicked' Happen

News outlets are trying to turn the same-day opening of "Wicked" and "Gladiator II" into this year's version of "Barbenheimer," but we're not in Kansas anymore.

Movie fans may be excited to see “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” this weekend, but they aren’t exactly thrilled about how the media is hyping up the convergence of tentpole films.

Many media outlets, including CNN, The New York Times and The Associated Press, have referred to the same-day opening of “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” as “Glicked” in an attempt to match the “Barbenheimer” craze of August 2023.

This isn’t the first time that the media and marketers have tried to capture that magic — as last year’s failed attempt to brand the openings of “Paw Patrol” and the latest “Saw” sequel “Saw Patrol” amply demonstrates.

Still, faced with possible branding alternatives like “Wickiator,” “Wadiator,” “Gladwick” and “Gladicked,” a few people close to the films seemed to be leaning toward “Glicked.”

“‘Glicked’ rolls off the tongue a little bit more,” actor Fred Hechinger told the AP at the New York screening of “Gladiator II” this week. “I think we should all band around ‘Glicked.’ It gets too confusing if you have four or five different names for it.”