Source: Courtesy / Paramount Pictures / Universal Pictures

All year, November 22nd was a day that many people had marked on their calendars. Not one but two blockbusters were released in theaters last week. Leading up to both films coming out, fans worldwide could not contain their excitement. The hype behind Wicked and Gladiator II were through the roof. It was very difficult to be on social media and not see something related to the films. All the anticipation led to big box office returns for both (After one weeked, Wicked’s worldwide total is $162.9 million while Gladiator II’s current worldwide total is $220.5 million). In case you’ve been under a rock, here’s a synopsis of the two movies.

Although the films are on completely different sides of the spectrum, them having the same release date has made them forever synonymous with each other. In fact, ‘Glicked’ was trending on Twitter for weeks and there are countless memes/videos merging the two films’ worlds together. Although it’s very rare for two films of this magnitude to be released on the same day, it’s not uncommon. Scroll down to see a list of instances where two huge movies were released on the same day. Let us know which release date has the movies you enjoy the most in the comments!

3. Gremlins


Source:Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers

Release Date: June 8, 1984

Budget: $11 Million

Box Office: $212.9 Million 

4. Ghostbusters


Source:Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers

Release Date: June 8, 1984

Budget: $25-30 Million

Box Office: $295.2 Million

Ghostbusters is a 1984 American supernatural comedy film directed and produced by Ivan Reitman, and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. It stars Bill Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis as Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and Egon Spengler, three eccentric parapsychologists who start a ghost-catching business in New York City. It also stars Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis, and features Annie Potts, Ernie Hudson, and William Atherton in supporting roles.

5. Casino


Source:Movieclips

Release Date: November 22, 1995 

Budget: $40-50 Million 

Box Office: $116.1 Million

Casino is a 1995 American epic crime film directed by Martin Scorsese, produced by Barbara De Fina and distributed by Universal Pictures. It is based on the 1995 nonfiction book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas by Nicholas Pileggi, who also co-wrote the screenplay along with Scorsese. It stars Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, Don Rickles, Kevin Pollak, and James Woods. The film was the eighth collaboration between director Scorsese and De Niro.

Casino follows Sam “Ace” Rothstein (De Niro), a Jewish American gambling expert handicapper who is asked by the Chicago Outfit to oversee the day-to-day casino and hotel operations at the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas. Other major characters include Nicky Santoro (Pesci), a “made man” and friend of Sam, and Ginger McKenna (Stone), a streetwise chip hustler whom Sam marries and has a daughter with. The film details Sam’s operation of the casino, the difficulties he confronts in his job, the Mafia’s involvement with the casino, and the gradual breakdown of his relationships and standing, as Las Vegas changes over the years.

6. Toy Story


Source:Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers

Release Date: November 22, 1995

Budget: $30 Million 

Box Office: $394.4 Million

Toy Story is a 1995 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The first installment in the Toy Story franchise, it was the first entirely computer-animated feature film, as well as the first feature film from Pixar. It was directed by John Lasseter (in his feature directorial debut) and produced by Bonnie Arnold and Ralph Guggenheim, from a screenplay written by Joss Whedon, Andrew Stanton, Joel Cohen, and Alec Sokolow and a story by Lasseter, Stanton, Pete Docter, and Joe Ranft. The film features music by Randy Newman, and was executive-produced by Steve Jobs and Edwin Catmull. The film features the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Annie Potts, R. Lee Ermey, John Morris, Laurie Metcalf, and Erik von Detten.

Taking place in a world where toys come to life when humans are not present, the plot of Toy Story focuses on the relationship between an old-fashioned pull-string cowboy doll named Woody and a modern space cadet action figure, Buzz Lightyear, as Woody develops jealousy towards Buzz when he becomes their owner Andy’s favorite toy.

10. Rush Hour 2


Source:Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers

Release Date: August 3, 2001

Budget: $90 Million

Box Office: $347.3 Million 

Rush Hour 2 is a 2001 American buddy action comedy film directed by Brett Ratner and written by Jeff Nathanson, based on the characters created by Ross LaManna. A sequel to Rush Hour, it is the second installment in the Rush Hour franchise and stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker reprising their roles from the first film. The story follows Chief Inspector Lee (Chan) and LAPD Detective James Carter (Tucker), who go to Hong Kong on vacation only to be thwarted by a murder case involving two U.S. customs agents after a bombing at the American embassy. Lee suspects that the crime is linked to the Triad crime lord Ricky Tan (Lone).

11. The Bourne Identity


Source:Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers

Release Date: June 14, 2002

Budget: $60 Million

Box Office: $214 Million

The Bourne Identity is a 2002 action-thriller film based on Robert Ludlum‘s 1980 novel. It was directed and co-produced by Doug Liman and written by Tony Gilroy and William Blake Herron. It stars Matt Damon as Jason Bourne, a man suffering from psychogenic amnesia attempting to discover his identity amidst a clandestine conspiracy within the CIA. It also features Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Brian Cox, Walton Goggins, and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. The first installment in the Bourne film series, it was followed by The Bourne Supremacy (2004), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), The Bourne Legacy (2012), and Jason Bourne (2016).

13. Mamma Mia!


Source:Screen Bites

Release Date: July 18, 2008

Budget: $52 Million

Box Office: $611.3 Million 

Mamma Mia! (promoted as Mamma Mia! The Movie) is a 2008 jukebox musical romantic comedy film directed by Phyllida Lloyd and written by Catherine Johnson, based on her book from the 1999 musical of the same name. The film is based on the songs of pop group ABBA, with additional music composed by ABBA member Benny Andersson. The film features an ensemble cast, including Christine Baranski, Pierce Brosnan, Dominic Cooper, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried, Stellan Skarsgård, Meryl Streep, and Julie Walters. The plot follows a young bride-to-be who invites three men to her upcoming wedding, with the possibility that any of them could be her father. The film was an international co-production between Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, and was co-produced by Playtone and Littlestar Productions.

14. The Dark Knight


Source:Warner Bros.

Release Date: July 18, 2008

Budget: $185 Million 

Box Office: $1.006 Billion

The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan from a screenplay co-written with his brother Jonathan. Based on the DC Comics superhero, Batman, it is the sequel to Batman Begins (2005) and the second installment in The Dark Knight Trilogy. The plot follows the vigilante Batman, police lieutenant James Gordon, and district attorney Harvey Dent, who form an alliance to dismantle organized crime in Gotham City. Their efforts are derailed by the Joker, an anarchistic mastermind who seeks to test how far Batman will go to save the city from chaos. The ensemble cast includes Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Morgan Freeman.

15. Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows


Source:Rotten Tomatoes Trailers

Release Date: December 16, 2011 

Budget: $125 Million 

Box Office: $543.8 Million 

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is a 2011 period mystery action film and the sequel to the 2009 film Sherlock Holmes, both which star Robert Downey Jr. as the titular character. The film is directed by Guy Ritchie and produced by Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram, Susan Downey and Dan Lin. The film’s screenplay was written by Michele Mulroney and Kieran Mulroney. Downey Jr. and Jude Law reprise their roles as Holmes and Dr. John Watson, respectively, alongside Noomi Rapace as Madame Simza “Sim” Heron, Stephen Fry as Mycroft Holmes, Kelly Reilly as Mary Morstan, Jared Harris as Professor Moriarty, Eddie Marsan as Inspector Lestrade, William Houston as Constable Clark and Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler. Although the film follows an original premise, it incorporates more closely elements of Conan Doyle’s short stories, including “The Final Problem” and “The Adventure of the Empty House“. In the film, Holmes and Watson travel across Europe with a Romani adventuress to foil an intricate plot by the cunning Professor Moriarty to instigate a major European conflict. 

18. Oppenheimer


Source:Universal Pictures

Release Date: July 21, 2023

Budget: $100 Million

Box Office: $976.8 Million

Oppenheimer is a 2023 biographical drama film written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan. It follows the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the American theoretical physicist who helped develop the first nuclear weapons during World War II. Based on the 2005 biography American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, the film dramatizes Oppenheimer’s studies, his direction of the Los Alamos Laboratory and his 1954 security hearing. Cillian Murphy stars as Oppenheimer, alongside Robert Downey Jr. as the United States Atomic Energy Commission member Lewis Strauss. The ensemble supporting cast includes Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, and Kenneth Branagh.

19. Wicked


Source:Universal Pictures

Release Date: November 22, 2024

Budget: $150 Million 

Box Office: $162.9 Million

20. Gladiator II


Source:Paramount Pictures

Release Date: November 22, 2024

Budget: $210 – 310 Million

Box Office: $220.5 Million