Wonka Leaps to the Top


Wonka enjoyed a healthy start at the domestic box office, earning $39 million from 4,203 theaters, per Deadline. The musical comedy held strong throughout the weekend, dipping just 3% on Saturday for an impressive $14M, following $14.4M on Thursday/Friday. Worldwide, the pic starring Timothee Chalamet has accrued $151.4M, including $8.7M from Imax.

With few obstacles throughout the Christmas season, Wonka should enjoy a nice run into January and easily surpass Paul King’s other family adventures—the Paddington films—at the worldwide box office.

Otherwise, the box office was relatively quiet, save for a handful of Indie flicks raking in some cash. Searchlight Pictures’ Poor Things landed on the Top 10 after expanding to 82 theaters and has so far grossed $2.2M after two weeks. American Fiction, meanwhile, earned $227K from seven theaters, while A24’s The Zone of Interest managed $124.8K from four theaters in New York and Los Angeles.

Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes slipped past the $300M mark at the global box office, though it remains a great deal behind the original Hunger Games franchise. The lowest-grossing entry of that series, Mockingjay – Part 2, hauled in $646M globally, while the highest-grossing chapter, Catching Fire, hauled in a massive $864M.

Box Office Results: Domestic Top 10

1.) Wonka (WB) 4,203 theaters, Fri $14.4M, Sat $14M Sun $10.5M 3-day$39M/Wk 1

2.) Hunger Games: Songbirds & Snakes (LG) 3,291 (-374) theaters, Fri $1.7M (-37%) Sat $2.3M Sun $1.7M 3-day $5.8M (-38%), total $145.2M/Wk 5

3.) Boy and the Heron (GKIDs) 2,325 (+120) theaters, Fri $1.4M (-75%) Sat $2.1M Sun $1.6M 3-day $5.1M (-60%), Total $23.1M/Wk 2

4.) Godzilla Minus One (Toho) 2,622 (+82) theaters, Fri $1.34M (-41%) Sat $2M Sun $1.47M 3day $4.88M (-43%), Total $34.2M/Wk 3

5) Trolls Band Together (Uni/DWA) 3,157 (-294) theaters, Friday $930K (-34%) Sat $1.7M Sun 3-day $4M (-34%) Total $88.7M/Wk 5

6) Wish (Dis) 3,100 (-310) theaters, Fri $730K (-38%) Sat $1.39M Sun $1.08M 3-day $3.2M (-39%), Total $54.3M/Wk 4

7) Christmas With the Chosen: Holy Night (Fathom) 2059 theaters, Fri $875K Sat $1.05M Sun $1M 3-day $2.9M, Total $4.6M/Wk 1

8) Napoleon (Apple/Sony) 2,601 (-749) Fri $640K (-45%) Sat $955K Sun $630K 3-day $2.2M (-46%), Total $57M/Wk 4

9) Renaissance/Beyonce (AMC) 1,723 (-819) theaters Fri $553K (-66%) 3-day $2M (-63%) Total $30.88M/Wk 3

10) Poor Things (SEA) 82 (+73) theaters Fri $488K (+75%) Sat $422K Sun $365K 3-day $1.275M (+93%), Total $2.2M/Wk 2