The Big Picture
Wonka had a strong opening at the domestic box office, earning $14.4 million on its first day and is projected to make around $37 to $40 million for its opening weekend. The Timothée Chalamet-led Wonka is pacing ahead of other recent musicals in terms of box office performance. Reviews for Wonka have been positive, with a current score of 84% on Rotten Tomatoes and an A- CinemaScore from opening day audiences, suggesting that the film will have staying power during the holidays and beyond.
After debuting in select international territories last week, Warner Bros.’ big Christmas movie, Wonka — sorry, Aquaman — was released in domestic theaters this Friday. The movie appears to be off to a sweet start, having generated $14.4 million on opening day, which includes the $3.5 million that it grossed in Thursday previews. Directed by the beloved Paul King, who previously helmed the two Paddington movies, Wonka is looking at an opening weekend haul in the $37 million to $38 million range. The more bullish projections, however, are predicting a $40 million debut.
After the musical genre experienced a bit of a disappointing run following the global success of La La Land in 2016, Wonka’s success is a welcome deviation. Recent musicals such as In the Heights, West Side Story and Dear Evan Hansen all tanked to varying degrees. But Wonka is currently pacing ahead of 2008’s Mamma Mia!, which grossed $27 million in its opening weekend, and ultimately ended its theatrical run with nearly $700 million worldwide.
Produced on a reported budget of $125 million, Wonka had already made a little less than $50 million from overseas territories heading into its domestic debut, and should comfortably pass the $100 million mark worldwide by Sunday. Reviews for the film have been encouraging; Wonka currently sits at a “fresh” 84% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, and has earned a strong A- CinemaScore from opening day audiences. These are positive signs that it should play through the holidays, and into the new year.
The Top Five This Friday Featured Four Holdovers
Holding onto the number two spot for the third weekend in a row, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes grossed $1.6 million on Friday, and is expected to generate around $6 million this weekend. The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes should finish the weekend with an estimated $145 million at the domestic box office, and is on track to conclude its run with around $160 million — a solid result, especially considering its restrained $100 million budget. Globally, the prequel film is looking to pass the $300 million mark.
The fourth and fifth spots went to the two Japanese crossover hits, last week’s The Boy and the Heron, and Godzilla Minus One from the week before. While director Hayao Miyazaki’s comeback film is looking to gross a little less than $5 million this weekend after generating around $1.2 million on its second Friday, Toho’s kaiju film is neck-and-neck with an estimated $4.5 million this weekend. The Boy and the Heron soared past the $100 million mark globally on Friday, and will pass the $20 million mark domestically by Sunday; Godzilla Minus One, on the other hand, is fast approaching the $35 million milestone domestically.
The top five was rounded out by Universal’s Trolls Band Together, which has been holding onto spots in the top five for over a month. The movie grossed $900,000 on Friday, and should finish the weekend with just under $90 million domestically. Also opening this weekend in limited release is the Oscar contender The Zone of Interest, directed by Jonathan Glazer. The film debuted in four theaters, for an estimated per-screen average of $14,000. Stay tuned to Collider for more box office updates over the weekend.
Wonka
Based on the extraordinary character at the center of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, “Wonka” tells the wondrous story of how the world’s greatest inventor, magician and chocolate-maker became the beloved Willy Wonka we know today.
Release Date December 15, 2023
Director Paul King