The Box Office

[80sbaby]

Musicals have been doing well in theaters lately. Both Wonka and the Color Purple are musicals.

[useridgoeshere]

I think the key to success for this year’s musicals was to not focus on that aspect. Promote the beloved IP first, then as movies, and only as musicals if people go looking.

[DanMad1977]

It would turn me off. But yeah, there seems to be an audience for it.

[skyvolt2000]

Musicals have been doing well in theaters lately. Both Wonka and the Color Purple are musicals.

Remember Color Purple was a book at first and then it became a Broadway play with the lead from that in this movie as well.

It also helps that the usual toxic crew are not attacking these movies.

So for once if you are hearing reviews and word of mouth it's from folks who actually saw it versus the agenda crew.

[Zauriel]

With the box office of $272 million in two weeks against the budget of $125 million and promotional costs, Wonka is definitely not a flop but is on the way to becoming a smashing success. A smash hit. It could reach over $500 million by the end of its theatrical run.

WB is spending a lot of money on promoting the film, I hear. Timothee Chalamet was sent to promote Wonka in Japan and a few other countries.

[Gaastra]

HR story on wonka winning christmas while aquaman 2 "drowns". Ouch.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/mo...ns-1235776044/

Wonka has reclaimed first also.

After relinquishing the No. 1 spot to fellow Warner Bros. tenptole Aquaman 2 over the long Dec. 22-25 weekend, Wonka — which opened the weekend before Christmas — reclaimed the throne
Tuesday. Ditto on Wednesday with $8 million in domestic ticket sales, enough to propel the musical past the $100 million mark in North America (its tally through Wednesday stood at $102.5 million).

In its first six days, the Jason Momoa-led Aquaman sequel has earned only $52.5 million domestically, more than 55 percent behind the first film (its overseas cume, however, is well north of $100 million).

Migration gaining a little steam post christmas. Just a little. Only a 4% drop also. Will it pull a croods 2 and puss and boots 2?

After a sluggish start over Christmas weekend, Illumination and Universal’s Migration has moved up to No. 2 behind Wonka. The family film earned $6.3 million Wednesday for a domestic total of $30.6 million. Aquaman 2 followed in third place, with $5.9 million.

Universal predicted that Migration would pick up once presents were unwrapped, considering that nearly all schools are closed this week.

Color purple frontloaded?

The Oprah Winfrey– and Steven Spielberg-produced musical adaptation The Color Purple placed No. 4 on Wednesday with $3.9 million. The movie, from Warners and Amblin, got off to a dazzling start Christmas Day with $18 million, the second-best opening ever for a film launching Dec. 25 and the best since 2009, not adjusted for inflation. The film’s domestic total through Wednesday was $29 million.

While The Color Purple is coming in ahead of expectations, it remains to be seen how front-loaded it is. The movie’s drop from Tuesday to Wednesday was 45 percent, more than any other title in the top 10.

For comparison, Migration slipped just 4 percent, while Wonka saw a dip of 25 percent and Aquaman fell 29 percent. (Most movies traditionally see a decline Wednesday due to discounted Tuesday pricing in theaters across the country.)

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/mo...ns-1235776044/

[Gaastra]

Boys in the boat overperforming.

Aquaman 2 doing well still in china.

https://www.reddit.com/r/boxoffice/c...ns_with_3216m/

Aquaman 2 about to pass the marvels box office. Looks like blue beetle will be the lowest comic movie this year?

Migration to pass wish next week thanks to schools out for christmas break.

[Gaastra]

Looks like universal wins 2023 from deadline. Wonka wins the christmas box office.

We’ll have more granular details on the major studios throughout the long weekend. But hands down, without any question, Universal is winning the domestic box office with $1.93 billion by EOD Sunday, +18% from 2022, off such hits as Super Mario Bros ($574.9M, 2nd highest-grossing film of the year), Oppenheimer ($326M), Fast X ($150.1M) and Five Nights at Freddy’s ($137.2M). In a slot that typically belongs to Disney, it’s the first time since 2015 that Universal has led the domestic box office.

Speaking of Disney, when the dust settles by the end of this weekend, they’ll be second with $1.89 billion, including monies from 20th Century Studios and Searchlight (-2% from 2022). Yes, as was over-reported, it was a tough year for Disney with waning ticket sales for Marvel movies like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania ($214.5M) and the lowest grossing title in Disney’s MCU, The Marvels, at $84.4M (however, not the lowest for Marvel, let’s not forget Marvel/20th’s Elektra with $24.4M) as well as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny at $174.4M charting as the lowest grossing in the franchise of all-time. Quality over quantity is the mantra for the Mouse House moving forward per Disney Boss Bob Iger.

Warner Bros. is third with $1.4 billion (+50% from 2022). The Burbank, CA lot delivered $277M stateside, $700M across its trifecta over the holidays. Exhibition is thankful, and I understand Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav was also a champ about putting three movies in theaters over Christmas and New Year’s. Despite the remainder of the Zack Snyder-born DC universe crashing this year between The Flash (largely due to the tabloid hijinks of star Ezra Miller), Shazam: Fury of the Gods and Aquaman 2, Warner’s count includes, of course, its highest grossing movie ever —Barbie ($636.2M) which reps almost half of their box office 2024.

As for this week wonka defeats color purple to reclaim first. Aquaman 2 swims to second. It's doing great in china but here--

Migration in third is a big surprise as it did much better during the post christmas weekend. It may be another croods 2 or puss and boots 2 if it has legs! Note it has not been released in japan and some other countries yet.

Rival studios may have thrown rocks at Illumination/Universal’s animated movie Migration, but the joke is on them: The movie, which has a 72% fresh Rotten Tomatoes critics score, is looking at a 4-day of $22.3M in third place for the weekend. By end of the day Monday, Migration, with a domestic cume of $59.3M, will be 3% behind the running total of Disney bomb Wish ($61.1M); with a final destination for these birds that’s North, not South, at $100M.

Boys in the boat made 6th but did overperform what was expected of it.

1.) Wonka (WB) 4,115 (-98) theaters, Fri $8.7M (+33%) Sat $8.7M Sun $6.55M 3-day $23.95M (+33%), 4-day $31.8M/Total $142.4M/Wk 3

2.) Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (WB) 3,787 (+81) theaters, Fri $6.75M Sat $7.5M Sun $5.25M 3-day $19.5M (-30%), 4-day $26.3M/Total $84.67M/Wk 2

3.) Migration (Ill/Uni) 3,839 (+78) theaters, Fri $6.7M (+17%) Sat $6.3M Sun $4.1M 3-day $17.2M (+38%), 4-day $22.3M, Total $59.3M/ Wk 2

4.) The Color Purple (WB) 3,203 theaters, Fri $4.1M, Sat $5.2M Sun $3.7M 3-day $13M, 4-day $17.7M/ Total $50M/Wk 1

5.) Anyone But You (Sony) 3,055 theaters, Fri $3.3M (-3%) Sat $3.7M Sun $2M 3-day $9M (+50%), 4-day $11.5M, Total $27.5M/Wk 2

6.) Boys in the Boat (AMZ MGM) 2,557 theaters, Fri $2.7M Sat $3.09M Sun $2.47M 3-day $8.3M, 4-day $11M, Total $24.6M, Wk 1

7.) The Iron Claw (A24) 2,794 (+20) theaters, Fri $1.74M (-30%) Sat $1.9M Sun $1.4M 3-day $5M (+4%) 4-day $6.9M/Total $18.2M/Wk 2

8.) Ferrari (NEON) 2,386 theaters, Fri $1.38M Sat $1.53M Sun $1.15M 3-day $4.06M 4-day $5.2M Total $12.07M/Wk 2

9.) Hunger Games – Songbirds & Snakes (LG) 1,660 (-849) theaters Fri $1.1M (-8%) Sat $1.15M Sun $650K 3-day $2.9M (-3%) 4-day $3.7M Total $160.7M/Wk 7

10.) Boy and Heron (GKIDS) 940 theaters Fri $864K Sat $945K Sun $695K 3-day $2.5M (-9%) 4-day $3.35M Total $36.8M/Wk 4

11.) Poor Things (Sea) 800 theaters, Fri $808K (-20%) Sat $921K Sun $600K 3-day $2.32M (+10%) 4-day $3M Total $11M/Wk 4

https://deadline.com/2023/12/box-off...nd-1235683633/

In japan spy x fanily is still ruling the japan box office but wish has reclaimed second!

In china Taylor swift is starting--

In China, TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR scored $2.5M in IMAX sales earlier today, repping 42% of the nationwide opening day.

https://www.reddit.com/r/boxoffice/c...scored_25m_in/

Coyote voice actor hints a studio has picked it up. But will it be streaming or big-screen?

https://www.reddit.com/r/boxoffice/c...ice_actor_for/

[Wildling]

As the year ends, who had in their 2023 bingo card not only an original Wonka prequel massively exceeding the box office of The Marvels? Or for that matter, Ridley Scott's Napoleon exceeding it worldwide despite being like one hour longer, with mixed reviews, and rated R for, among other stuff, multiple sex scenes?

[SUPERECWFAN1]

I'm sure no one at WBD thought at the 1st of the year that 3 of the companies biggest successful films would be such different style films. Instead of the comic book films they had planned. I am wondering who thought Evil Dead Rise , Barbie and Wonka would be the shining movies for them of 2023 ?

[Wildling]

I'm sure no one at WBD thought at the 1st of the year that 3 of the companies biggest successful films would be such different style films. Instead of the comic book films they had planned. I am wondering who thought Evil Dead Rise , Barbie and Wonka would be the shining movies for them of 2023 ?

Thanks for reminding me they realized early enough in the year burying Evil Dead Rise in streaming would have been yet another big mistake.

[useridgoeshere]

WBD did a great job marketing Barbie, activating the fans, intriguing the casuals, and owning the conversation. They also did well relying on the strength of IP for those three movies you named, none of which had ‘bankable stars’. Although there might not be such a thing as a bankable star.

[Zauriel]

I think anyone that saw the movie knows Oompa Loomba is the next step

I haven't watched Wonka yet. So, didn't Wonka bring Oompa Loomba in his factory as his new factory workers in the film?