Following two weeks of underwhelming performances at the box office, Wonka made its debut this weekend as the only new wide release to captivate cinema enthusiasts looking for a pre-holiday cinematic escapade. Garnering an impressive $39 million in the past three days, Wonka took #1 for the weekend’s cumulative box office, which reached a substantial $77.8 million across all movie releases.
In 1971, the iconic Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory burst onto the scene, immortalizing the whimsical character of Willy Wonka through Gene Wilder’s stellar performance. Drawing inspiration from Roald Dahl’s 1964 children’s novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, this year’s Wonka takes us back to the chocolatier’s early days, offering a prelude to the narrative in the ’71 classic. Our young and idealistic Wonka envisions opening a candy haven in a chocolate-centric town, only to discover a dark underbelly governed by a cabal of avaricious chocolatiers.
Stepping into the role of young Wonka, Timothée Chalamet delivers a noteworthy performance, earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. The ensemble cast, including Hugh Grant, Olivia Coleman, Rowan Atkinson, and Jim Carter, adds depth to the cinematic journey.
Paramount’s 1971 production, crafted on a $3 million budget, initially grossed a modest $4 million in the U.S. and Canada. However, its legacy blossomed through frequent TV broadcasts, subsequent VHS and DVD releases, and Sammy Davis Jr.’s chart-topping 1972 rendition of The Candy Man. The U.S. Library of Congress recognized its cultural significance in 2014 by including Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory in the National Film Registry.
Wonka, the latest installment, has garnered positive reviews, boasting an 84% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences, even more enamored, have rated it at 91%. Poised to enchant families throughout the holiday season and beyond, the film has already amassed $43.2 million in 37 global markets since its recent debut. With Warner Bros. gearing up for a stellar Christmas lineup, featuring both Wonka and the impending arrival of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, they’re set to dominate the festive box office.
Claiming the #2 spot, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes secured $5.8 million. Since its debut on November 17th, the film has displayed resilience, sustaining itself with weekend drops of 35%, 51%, 34%, and 38% in the latest frame. The cumulative domestic gross for the sequel now reaches $145.2 million, positioning it as the second-highest-grossing film of the fourth quarter, trailing behind Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, which has amassed $179 million since its October 13th premiere.
Securing the #3 position, The Boy and the Heron added another $5.2 million in its second weekend, marking a 60% decline from its unexpectedly strong debut. Distributor GKIDS has to be pleased with the anime import feature’s performance, boasting a ten-day total of $23.1 million. For its U.S. release, the Japanese original underwent an English dub, featuring the voices of renowned Hollywood stars such as Robert Pattinson, Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, and Mark Hamill. This strategic move not only enhanced the film’s accessibility to U.S. audiences but also contributed to its box office success.
The movie now stands as the highest-grossing North American film from 82-year-old director Hayao Miyazaki, surpassing his previous best, Ponyo, which earned $15.1 million in its 2009 run. Furthermore, it has outshone Miyazaki’s acclaimed Spirited Away, which grossed $10 million in 2002 and received the 2003 Oscar for Best Animated Feature. If this indeed marks Miyazaki’s final cinematic endeavor, he is unquestionably concluding his illustrious career on a triumphant note.
Making its mark at the domestic box office, Godzilla Minus One secured the #4 spot at the box office this weekend with $4.9 million, experiencing a 43% decline from the previous weekend. This monster-pic from Toho International has proven its might, accumulating a robust $34.3 million in its initial 17 days in North America. Warner Bros. stands to reap the rewards of Minus One’s success, given that the Hollywood studio is currently working on the next installment in the Godzilla series, titled Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, slated for release on April 12, 2024.
Embracing strategic placement on the domestic release calendar, these two Japanese film imports emerged as compelling choices for movie enthusiasts who, in the last three weeks, might have otherwise leaned towards a cozy night at home.
Maintaining its place on the top ten list after slipping from 4th place, in the #5 position, Universal’s Trolls Band Together added $4.0 million at the box office this weekend, contributing to a cumulative domestic gross of $88.7 million. Trolls’ enduring success is evident in its week-to-week declines of -41%, -56%, -21%, and -34% over its five-week run. Despite the competition, particularly from Disney’s Wish with a domestic total of $54.3 million, Trolls continue to enchant audiences and are still featured in most theaters that welcomed their debut last month. Looking ahead, Universal is poised to introduce Migration, its forthcoming animated feature, in the upcoming weekend.
In its fourth week, Disney’s Wish slipped from last weekend’s #5 to claim the #6 spot, suffering a 40% decline with a weekend gross of $3.2 million. The film’s cumulative earnings have now reached about $54.3 million, reflecting its steady performance at the box office.
Making its debut this week is Christmas with The Chosen: Holy Night from the TV series, presented by Fathom. This unique production reimagines past footage with new musical elements. The film secured the #7 spot at the box office with an impressive total of over $2.9 million. Notably, since its opening on Tuesday, the total earnings have surpassed $4.6 million.
In its fourth week, Napoleon by Sony for Apple slid from the #7 position last weekend to claim the #8 spot, experiencing a 46% decline with a weekend gross of $2.3 million. The film’s cumulative earnings have reached $57 million.
Queen Bee unfortunately must bow down to the reigning queen of, well, everything this year. In its third week at the box office, Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé from Variance for AMC dropped from last weekend’s #6 position to the #9 spot, marking a substantial 63% decline with a weekend gross of $2 million. The film’s cumulative earnings have now reached $30.9.
In its second weekend at the box office, Poor Things secured the #10 spot across 82 theaters with a total box office of $1.3 million. The film is poised for a significant expansion, with plans to hit 800 theaters in the upcoming weekend.
The earlier observation on the film’s promising start in a limited nine-location opening gains added significance with its recent recognition at the Golden Globes. Having received six nominations, including Best Picture Musical or Comedy, Best Director Motion Picture (Yorgos Lanthimos), Best Screenplay Motion Picture (Tony McNamara), Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or a Comedy (Emma Stone), and two nods for Best Supporting Actor Motion Picture (Willem Dafoe and Mark Ruffalo), Poor Things is experiencing a positive impact at the box office. The recent expansion to 82 locations resulted in a weekend gross of $1.3 million, boasting an impressive per-theater average of $15,549, surpassing Wonka by 50%, which held an average of $9,279. Anticipating further success, Poor Things is gearing up for another expansion just before Christmas to cover its full range of locations.
REELated:
The Top 10
1. Wonka (WB) NEW – Cinemascore: A-; Metacritic: 66; Est. budget: $125 million
$39,000,000 in 4,203 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $9,279; Cumulative: $39,000,000
2. Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (Lionsgate) Week 5; Last weekend #2
$5,800,000 (-38%) in 3,291 (-374) theaters; PTA: $2,325; Cumulative: $145,329,000
3. The Boy and the Heron (GKids) Week 2; Last weekend #1
$5,173,000 (-60%) in 2,325 (+120) theaters; PTA: $2,225; Cumulative: $23,145,000
4. Godzilla Minus One (Emick for Toho International) Week 3; Last weekend #3
$4,880,000 (-34%) in 2,622 (+82) theaters; PTA: $1,861; Cumulative: $34,258,000
5. Trolls Band Together (Universal) Week 5; Last weekend #4
$4,000,000 (-34%) in 3,157 (-294) theaters; PTA: $1,267; Cumulative: $88,663,000
6. Wish (Disney) Week 4; Last weekend #5
$3,200,000 (-40%) in 3,100 (-310) theaters; PTA: $1,032; Cumulative: $54,275,000
7. Christmas with the Chosen: Holy Night (Fathom) NEW
$2,932,000 in 2,059 theaters; PTA: $1,400; Cumulative: $4,676,000
8. Napoleon (Sony for Apple) Week 4; Last weekend #7
$2,285,000 (-46%) in 2,601 (-749) theaters; PTA: $855; Cumulative: $57,025,000
9. Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé (Variance for AMC) Week 3; Last weekend #6
$2,000,000 (-63%) in 1,723 (-819) theaters; PTA: $1,161; Cumulative: $30,900,000
10. Poor Things (Searchlight) Week 2; Last weekend #17
$1,275,000 (+93%) in 82 (+9) theaters; PTA: $15,549; Cumulative: $2,222,000
As we reach the 49th week of the year, the year-to-date box office for 2023 has surged to 122% compared to the corresponding period in 2022, showcasing substantial growth. Additionally, it stands at 82% of the figures recorded in 2019, indicating a noteworthy performance in the context of pre-pandemic numbers.
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