Wonka by Warner Bros. reclaimed the #1 spot at the box office over the post-Christmas weekend, raking in an impressive $24 million for three days. This achievement is part of the studio’s remarkable three wide releases for Christmas.
The film exhibited a commendable 30% increase from the previous weekend when it placed #2, a trend not uncommon during the holidays, particularly with Christmas Eve falling on the preceding Sunday. Over the course of three weekends, the movie has amassed a domestic total of $135 million, and by Monday, its worldwide earnings are projected to surpass $400 million.
Despite the film’s success, the $24 million top gross on a post-Christmas weekend falls below the figures seen in most weeks throughout the year. For comparison, last year’s Avatar: The Way of Water grossed $67 million, and in 2021, Spider-Man: No Way Home brought in $56 million during their respective third weeks, both surpassing Wonka’s post-Christmas weekend earnings.
Nevertheless, the outlook remains optimistic for Wonka, as it is expected to comfortably exceed $200 million in domestic gross and reach a commendable $500 million worldwide. This performance is particularly noteworthy given the film’s budget of $125 million, ensuring a favorable financial outcome for Warner Bros.
In its second weekend Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, slipped from #1 to #2 with a $19.5 million weekend box office. Unlike other films enjoying increased pre-Christmas totals, Aquaman 2 faced a 30% decline, echoing the trend seen in superhero movies this year—struggling in openings and swiftly declining. The ten-day gross for Aquaman 2 stands at $77.8 million, only 41% of the original Aquaman’s $189.0 million at the same point. If this trend continues, exhibitors might remove it from screens ahead of three new releases on 1/12. Notably, the original Aquaman, opening on December 21, 2018, ran for 15 weeks, accumulating a $335.4 million domestic total.
Universal’s Migration secured the #3 spot at the box office. Illumination’s animated original surged by 38% to reach $17.3 million, accumulating a total of $54 million thus far. This performance surpasses last year’s Puss in Boots: The Last Wish in its second week, a film that demonstrated staying power and eventually concluded with a substantial $186 million.
The Color Purple claimed the #4 position, earning $13.0 million in its debut weekend. An adaptation of the Broadway musical that premiered on December 1st, 2005, the film also incorporates elements from the 1985 original and Alice Walker’s bestselling book published in 1982. Opening on Christmas Day, it initially garnered a remarkable $18.15 million, securing the second-highest Christmas Day opening in history, trailing only Sherlock Holmes, which grossed $24.6 million in 2009. Despite slipping to #4, the movie has performed well overall, accumulating $45.3 million in its first seven days.
Comparisons to the 1985 original are deemed unfair, given the different release strategies. The original film opened in 1985 in only 192 theaters, expanding to 1,109 locations in February 1986, strategically building momentum leading up to that year’s Academy Award nominations. While it received ten nominations, including Best Picture, it did not secure any wins. Nevertheless, it earned $98.5 million domestically, a significant success in 1980s dollars.
Fast forward 38 years, Warner Bros. opted for a wide release strategy, opening this year’s musical version of The Color Purple at 3,152 locations. Directed by Blitz Bazawule and produced by Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Scott Sanders, and Quincy Jones, the star-studded cast includes Taraji P. Henson, Fantasia Taylor, David Allen Grier, Louis Gosset Jr., and Tamela J. Mann, with a cameo by Whoopi Goldberg, reprising her role as Celie from the original. Critics have given the movie an 87% score on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences show strong enthusiasm with a 95% approval rating. This compares favorably to the scores for the original movie, which received 73% and 94%, respectively. The new musical, with an estimated production cost of $90 million to $100 million, stands in contrast to the $15 million budget of the original drama.
Sony’s Anyone But You, which surprisingly surged to a formidable $9.0 million in its second weekend took the #5 spot. This marked an impressive 50% leap from its inaugural box office performance, making it the most substantial increase among the top ten films. The movie’s success can be attributed to its unique status as the ultimate “date night” choice in the current cinematic landscape. Bolstered by positive word-of-mouth, evident in its commendable 86% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has now amassed $25.1 million in its initial ten days. This not only equals its production costs but positions it as a potential candidate for a sequel, given its triumphant reception and minimal risk.
MGM’s Boys in the Boat navigated its way to a #6 finish, achieving a gross of $8.3 million in its debut weekend. The initial seven days over the holiday period proved solid, accumulating $21.9 million. Directed by George Clooney, the film features a cast of British and Australian actors with relatively few well-known film credits. Adapted from a non-fiction novel of the same name, the movie recounts the inspiring tale of the University of Washington rowing crew that represented the United States in “The Eight” (eight rowers plus a coxswain) at the 1936 Summer Olympic Games in Berlin. The narrative centers on the lives of the coaches, boatbuilder, and working-class student athletes of the crew.
Despite receiving a less favorable 56% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, moviegoers have rallied behind it, granting an impressive 96% audience score. This marks one of the widest disparities of the year between critic and audience ratings. With a production budget ranging from $50 million to $60 million, the film will need to sustain audience interest over the next few weeks to reach profitability.
A24’s The Iron Claw, with a budget of $16 million, secured the #7 position, experiencing a 4% uptick with earnings reaching $16 million thus far.
Securing the #8 spot, Neon’s biographical film Ferrari aimed to capture the audience that embraced Ford v Ferrari a few years ago. However, it only managed to generate $4.1 million during this weekend, accumulating a total of $10.9 million since its debut last Monday. Starring Adam Driver as the iconic carmaker Enzo Ferrari, the film received a tepid response, earning a 73% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, closely mirrored by the audience’s 72% approval. Despite its $95 million production budget, Ferrari must now perform well in international markets to break even.
Holding onto the box office top ten list in the #9 spot, Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes from Lionsgate, in its seventh week (previously holding the eighth position), continues its presence on paid video on demand, securing $2.9 million for the weekend and accumulating a total of $159,868,000 in box office earnings.
At the #10 spot, The Boy and the Heron from GKids is now in its fourth week, having slipped from the #7 position last week. Despite a 10% decline, the film secured $2.5 million over the weekend, accumulating a total of $35,918,000.
REELated:
The Top 10 (3-Day Weekend)
1. Wonka (WB) Week 3; Last weekend #2
$23,950,000 (+33%) in 4,115 (-98) theaters; PTA (per theater average): $5,820; Cumulative: $134,603,000
2. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (WB) Week 2; Last weekend #1
$19,500,000 (-30%) in 3,787 (+81) theaters; PTA: $5,149; Cumulative: $77,845,000
3. Migration (Universal) Week 2; Last weekend #3
$17,230,000 (+38%) in 3,839 (+78) theaters; PTA: $4,488; Cumulative: $54,323,000
4. The Color Purple (WB) NEW – Cinemascore: A; Metacritic: 70; Est. budget: $100 million
$13,000,000 in 3,203 theaters; PTA: $4,059; Cumulative: $45,300,000
5. Anyone but You (Sony) Week 2; Last weekend #4
$9,000,000 (+50%) in 3,055 (no change) theaters; PTA: $2,946; Cumulative: $25,085,000
6. The Boys in the Boat (Amazon MGM) NEW – Cinemascore: A; Metacritic: 52; Est. budget: $40 million
$8,317,000 in 2,557 theaters; PTA: $3,253; Cumulative: $21,915,000
7. The Iron Claw (A24) Week 2; Last weekend #6
$5,045,000 (+4%) in 2,794 (+20) theaters; PTA: $1,819; Cumulative: $16,356,000
8. Ferrari (Neon) NEW – Cinemascore: B; Metacritic: 73; Est. budget: $95 million
$4,064,000 in 2,386 theaters; PTA: $1,703; Cumulative: $10,921,000
9. Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (Lionsgate) Week 7; Last weekend #8; also on PVOD
$2,900,000 (-%) in 1,660 (-849) theaters; PTA: $; Cumulative: $159,868,000
10. The Boy and the Heron (GKids) Week 4; Last weekend #7
$2,504,000 (-10%) in 900 (-680) theaters; PTA: $2,664,000; Cumulative: $35,918,000
The collective earnings for all films this weekend amounted to $117.0 million, showing growth from the $103.7 million recorded for the same weekend last year, reflecting a significant increase of 13%. If not for the Warner Bros. trio, the remaining films would have contributed $60.5 million this weekend, marking a substantial 42% decline compared to the previous year. It’s worth contemplating which studios and films might have filled the void, especially considering the labor strikes that disrupted all production for five months of the year.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram
