During the Christmas weekend, cinephiles had a variety of choices with four major studio releases opening on Friday. Theaters eagerly anticipated diverse audiences attending screenings of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, a Family Animated film titled Migration, The Iron Claw in the Sports genre, and the Rom-com Anyone But You.
Notably, the box office faced a slight dip due to Christmas Eve falling on a weekend day, leading to early closures in some theaters as family activities took precedence. This year’s Christmas Eve fell on a Sunday, differing from last year’s Saturday, influencing the overall weekend dynamics.
In the previous weekend, Wonka’s three-day gross of $39 million couldn’t match the impressive $134.1 million from the opening of Avatar: The Way of Water the previous year. This resulted in a notable contrast in the total box office for all titles, with Weekend 50 in 2023 reaching $77.8 million, representing only 51% of the $153.3 million generated during the equivalent weekend in 2022.
The gap between the two years significantly narrowed in the current weekend, with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom opening to $28.1 million. The collective earnings of all films reached $94.6 million, comprising 99% of last year’s $95.1 million. Three additional movies opened on Christmas Day—The Color Purple, Ferrari, and The Boys in the Boat—offering a rich variety for moviegoers. With these diverse options, the upcoming weekend is poised to conclude the year on a positive note. Predictions suggest that the annual box office for 2023 will surpass that of 2022 by a substantial 20%.
In the box office rankings, Warner Bros.’ Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom secured the #1 spot with a $28.1 million opening weekend. This film, serving as the fifteenth and final installment of the DC Extended Universe, is a sequel to the original Aquaman released five years ago on December 22, 2018. The inaugural movie earned $67.9 million in its opening weekend and went on to accumulate $335.4 million domestically and an impressive $1.2 billion worldwide. While this weekend’s opening met current expectations, it continued the observed trend in 2023, with superhero movies falling below the benchmarks set by their predecessors.
Securing the #2 spot, Wonka garnered $17.7 million in box office revenue, experiencing a 55% dip from the preceding weekend’s debut figures. Warner Bros. maintains its firm grip on the 2023 market share, clinching both the #1 and #2 positions at the box office. The studio wraps up the year on a robust note, buoyed by the Monday premiere of The Color Purple, completing a potent trio of impactful titles.
Universal’s Migration secured the #3 position by raking in $12.3 million in its inaugural three days at the box office. This fresh animated offering from Illumination unfolds the tale of a duck family, where the spirited offspring persuades their overly cautious father to embark on an extraordinary journey—from New England to the Bahamas. However, their adventure takes an unforeseen turn as they navigate the New York skyline to showcase their capabilities. Helmed by Oscar-nominee Benjamin Renner and based on an original screenplay by Mike White (renowned for School of Rock and White Lotus), the film showcases the vocal talents of Elizabeth Banks, Awkwafina, Danny DeVito, and Keegan-Michael Key.
While critical reviews remain lukewarm, with a 72% score on Rotten Tomatoes, audience reception tells a different story, earning an 85% approval. Despite Universal’s potential desire for a stronger opening from Migration, it’s worth noting that last year on the same weekend, Universal only pulled in $12.4 million for the debut of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Impressively, that film went on to accumulate $185.5 million domestically, showcasing an extraordinary 15x multiple of its opening weekend, compared to the industry average of between 2.5x and 3x.
Migration is poised to be a profitable venture, particularly considering its modest $72 million production budget for an animated feature. Universal is likely content if Migration achieves an opening weekend multiple anywhere close to that of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
Sony’s Anyone But You secured the #4 spot with a weekend box office haul of $6.2 million. This unconventional romantic comedy unfolds the story of two individuals who, following a captivating first date, believe they are destined for each other but later grapple with the challenges of a destination wedding in Australia. Starring Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, Rachel Griffiths, and Dermot Mulroney, the film has faced a divide in reviews, earning a 50% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the general public has embraced its witty dialogue, resulting in an impressive 85% audience score.
Crafted on a modest production budget of $25 million, Anyone But You is poised for profitability, especially with the anticipated surge in moviegoing over the next two weeks.
In the #5 spot, Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire managed to earn $5.5 million in box office revenue. This Indian film, distributed in the U.S. and Canada by Morksha Movies and Prathyangira Cinemas, graced 802 theaters during its opening. Notably, this marks the fourth consecutive weekend where at least one film from Japan or India has found a place in the domestic top five. Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire unfolds the narrative of a gang leader seeking vengeance for the murder of his friend by a rival gang.
The film’s success was almost predictable, given that its teaser trailer garnered over 83 million views within 24 hours of its release on July 6th, setting a new record for an Indian film and creating significant anticipation.
A24’s The Iron Claw made its wide debut this week, claiming the #6 spot with a $5.0 million box office revenue. The storyline revolves around the Von Erich family, a wrestling dynasty that gained prominence in the 1980s by popularizing the “Iron Claw” wrestling hold. Their journey in the ring intertwines with personal tragedies, giving birth to the infamous “Von Erich Curse.”
Starring Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, and Maura Tierney, this R-rated film draws parallels to Fox Searchlight’s 2008 production, The Wrestler. The Wrestler, featuring Academy Award-nominated performances by Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei, pursued a gradual release strategy, commencing in four theaters on December 17th, 2008, and peaking on February 27, 2009, at 776 locations, accumulating a domestic gross of $26.2 million.
Diverging from A24’s usual platform releases, The Iron Claw premiered in 2,771 theaters, a strategic choice for this year. With a production budget of only $16 million, the film is poised for profitability, especially with plans to remain on most screens through the middle of January.
Hazao Miyazaki‘s The Boy and the Heron (distributed by GKids) claims the #7 position, surpassing the $30 million mark in its third week. The film grossed $3.2 million in its latest weekend, reflecting a decline of 43% compared to the previous week when it held the #3 spot.
Taking the #8 position at the box office is Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes from Lionsgate. In its 6th week, the film slid from the #2 spot last weekend. Available on paid video on demand, it earned $3.2 million in its latest weekend, reflecting a 46% decline. The cumulative box office now stands at $153,475,000.
In the #9 spot at the box office is Godzilla Minus One from Emick for Toho International. It’s in its 4th week, having slipped from the #4 spot last weekend. The film earned $2.7 million in its latest weekend, reflecting a 46% decline, and the cumulative box office total stands at $40,358,000.
Entering the #10 spot is Dunki from Yash Raj. This new release, with an estimated budget of $13 million, earned $2.7 million in 686 theaters.
REELated:
The Top 10
1. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (WB) NEW – Cinemascore: B; Metacritic:44 ; Est. budget: $205 million
$28,100,000 in 3,706 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $7,582; Cumulative: $28,100,000
2. Wonka (WB) Week 2; Last weekend #1
$17,700,000 (-55%) in 4,213 (+10) theaters; PTA: $4,201; Cumulative: $75,203,000
3. Migration (Universal) NEW – Cinemascore: A; Metacritic: 58; Est. budget: $72 million
$12,310,000 in 3,761 theaters; PTA: $3,273; Cumulative: $12,310,000
4. Anyone but You (Sony) NEW – Cinemascore: B+; Metacritic: 54; Est. budget: $25 million
$6,460,000 in 3,055 theaters; PTA: $2,041; Cumulative: $6,460,000
5. Salaar Part 1 — Ceasefire (Prathyangira) NEW – Est. budget: $36 million
$5,481,000 in 750 theaters; PTA: $6,886; Cumulative: $5,481,000
6. The Iron Claw (A24) NEW – Cinemascore: A-; Metacritic: 74; Est. budget: $16 million
$5,060,000 in 2,774 theaters; PTA: $1,394; Cumulative: $5,060,000
7. The Boy and the Heron (GKids) Week 3; Last weekend #3
$3,154,000 (-43%) in 1,580 (-745) theaters; PTA: $1,996; Cumulative: $30,582,000
8. Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (Lionsgate) Week 6; Last weekend #2; also on PVOD
$3,150,000 (-46%) in 2,509 (-782) theaters; PTA: $1,255; Cumulative: $153,475,000
9. Godzilla Minus One (Emick for Toho International) Week 4; Last weekend #4
$2,740,000 (-46%) in 1,985 (-637) theaters; PTA: $1,394; Cumulative: $40,358,000
10. Dunki (Yash Raj) NEW – Est. budget: $13 million
$2,713,000 in 686 theaters; PTA: $3,955; Cumulative: $3,590,000
At the 50-week milestone, the 2023 year-to-date box office has shown remarkable growth, standing at 122% in comparison to the equivalent period in 2022. Furthermore, these figures represent 82% of the numbers recorded during the same timeframe in 2019.
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