Cineplex CEO says ‘Wicked’ sequel already bewitching moviegoers into higher presales

TORONTO – Cineplex Inc.’s CEO is seeing signs that the latest instalment of the Wicked franchise will help his cinema chain end this year on a high note.

“The Wicked pre-sales are nearly three times what the last one was, so I’m kind of excited,” Ellis Jacob said in a Thursday interview.

The franchise’s sophomore film “Wicked: For Good” heads back to the “Wizard of Oz” universe to continue the story of Elphaba and Glinda, played by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. 

The debut film, which was released last year, grossed $756.4 million at the global box office and spawned a litany of collaborations with brands including Aldo, Conair, Crocs and Lego.

The second film will be released in Canada on Nov. 21, placing the movie and its wave of branded merchandise smack dab in the venerable holiday season.

Joining it will be “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” the latest film in the James Cameron series that promises to plunge audiences back into the world of Pandora and Jake Sully and his family. It is expected to debut in Dec. 

“I think both Wicked and Avatar are going to be the biggies,” Jacob said when asked about the upcoming film slate, which also includes George Clooney flick “Jay Kelly” and “Marty Supreme,” the Josh Safdie film featuring Timothée Chalamet as a table tennis star.

Jacob’s musings about the next few months in movies came a few hours after his company reported a profit of $1.2 million in its latest quarter compared with a loss of $24.7 million a year ago as its revenue fell nearly nine per cent.

Cineplex, a Toronto-based chain with theatres throughout Canada, said its profit amounted to two cents per diluted share for the quarter compared with a loss of 39 cents per diluted share in the same quarter last year.

The swing between last year and this year’s results was largely because Cineplex had to put aside cash in the event it has to pay a record $38.9 million fine imposed by the Competition Tribunal, Jacob said. 

Cineplex recently appealed the fine levied after the Competition Bureau alleged the company’s online booking fees amount to deceptive marketing practices. The Federal Court of Appeal has yet to rule on the matter.

Also shaping Cineplex’s third quarter, which ended Sept. 30, was a film roster that didn’t attract the same excitement as “Deadpool & Wolverine” in the summer of 2025.

Cineplex said its revenue totalled $348.9 million, down from $382.3 million a year ago when moviegoers packed theatres for the superhero movie. 

In the third quarter, when “Superman” and “Jurassic World Rebirth” were released, Cineplex’s theatre attendance reached 12.1 million patrons, down from 13.3 million in the period quarter last year.

Box office revenue per patron was $13.23 in the quarter, up from $13.19 a year ago, while concession revenue per patron was $9.65, down from $9.85 in the same quarter last year.

“The concessions were largely reduced because we did a special Labour Day weekend event,” he said. “It increased the attendance, but it hurt us because we did $5 movies, $5 popcorn, so that drives the number down.”

Last month, Cineplex announced a deal to sell digital signage subsidiary Cineplex Digital Media, which offers signage for a wide range of businesses including retailers and banks as well as digital menu boards for restaurants, to U.S.-based Creative Realities Inc. for $70 million.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2025.

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