Box Office Report: Audiences Send 2023 Out With ‘Wonka’ And ‘Aquaman’
Box Office analysis is provided by Daniel Garris of BoxOfficeReport.com.
4-Day Christmas Weekend Estimates - December 29th, 2023 to January 1, 2024:
Weekend Estimates Written Update:
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As had been expected, Warner Bros.'s Wonka returned to first place at the domestic box office over New Year's weekend. Updated respective three-day and four-day estimates for Wonka are $22.67 million and $29.51 million. For the three-day frame, Wonka increased 25.6 percent from last weekend, while the film's four-day take was up 5.2 percent from last weekend's four-day Christmas weekend performance. Through Monday, the estimated 18-day domestic total for Wonka stands at $140.16 million. In addition to continuing to benefit from strong critical reviews and good word of mouth, Wonka was also helped out this weekend by the New Year's holiday frame typically being a strong weekend for both family films and musicals. Wonka also received an additional boost this weekend from returning to IMAX screens (which it split with fellow Warner Bros. release Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom), as Wonka grossed an estimated $1.3 million from domestic IMAX screens over the four-day frame, for an estimated domestic IMAX total of $7.6 million to date. At this point Wonka is on course to end up as the highest grossing release of this November and December domestically (Lionsgate's The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes currently leads with an estimated $160.64 million).
Internationally, Wonka continued to impress with an estimated $39.1 million this weekend from 77 international markets. Through Sunday, Wonka has grossed $244.4 million internationally and $377.7 million globally. Estimated totals by international market for Wonka through Sunday include a healthy $55.3 million in the United Kingdom, $19.7 million in Mexico, $16.2 million in France, $14.9 million in Germany, $13.9 million in Australia, $11.6 million in Japan, $10.9 million in Italy, $10.7 million in Spain, $7.4 million in Brazil, $7.4 million in the Netherlands, $6.8 million in China and $4.1 million in Poland. To date, Wonka has grossed $14.5 million from global IMAX screens.
Warner Bros. also claimed second place this weekend, as revised respective three-day and four-day estimates for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom stand at $18.27 million and $23.50 million. For the three-day frame, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom declined 34.0 percent. The film's four-day performance was down 38.6 percent from last weekend's four-day start. Through Monday, the eleven-day domestic total for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom stands at $81.85 million. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is running a disappointing 58.9 percent behind the $199.06 million eleven-day start of 2018's Aquaman, but with that said, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom wasn't expected to come anywhere close to matching the box office performance of its predecessor. In comparison to the other DCEU films from Warner Bros. in 2023, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has already passed the final domestic grosses of both Shazam! Fury of the Gods ($57.64 million) and Blue Beetle ($72.49 million) and is on pace to eventually surpass the $108.13 million final domestic gross of The Flash. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom grossed an estimated $2.3 million from domestic IMAX screens over the four-day frame, for a domestic IMAX total of $8.4 million.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom continued to fare far better internationally, as the film grossed an estimated $50.5 million from 77 international markets this weekend. Through Sunday, respective totals for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom stand at $173.6 million internationally and at $250.2 million globally. Estimated totals by international market for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom through Sunday include $45.8 million in China, $12.7 million in Mexico, $9.0 million in France, $8.4 million in Germany, $7.9 million in Indonesia, $7.5 million in the United Kingdom, $6.5 million in Brazil, $5.8 million in South Korea, $5.7 million in Australia, $4.3 million in Malaysia, $4.2 million in Taiwan and $3.9 million in Italy. The film grossed an estimated $4.4 million from international IMAX screens this weekend, for respective international and global IMAX totals of $17.4 million and $25.6 million. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will open in Japan on Friday, January 12.
Universal and Illumination's Migration held up very well this weekend with updated respective three-day and four-day weekend estimates of $17.01 million and $22.00 million. For the three-day weekend, Migration was up a strong 36.6 percent over last weekend's debut, while the film's four-day take represented a 23.5 percent jump over last weekend's four-day performance. Through Monday, the eleven-day domestic total for Migration stands at a promising $59.09 million. Migration will have an excellent chance of continuing to hold up well throughout January, thanks in part to strong word of mouth and in part to there not being much new competition for family audiences during January (with the exception of Disney's theatrical re-issue of Pixar's Soul on January 12). Internationally, Migration grossed an estimated $17.1 million this weekend from 68 international markets. That brings the film's international total to $46.5 million and global total through Sunday to $100.6 million. International totals by market for Migration through Sunday include $6.8 million in Germany, $6.6 million in France, $5.4 million in Mexico, $2.9 million in Italy, $2.9 million in Australia, $2.0 million in Spain, $1.9 million in China and $1.7 million in the Netherlands and $1.4 million in Belgium. Migration will open in Brazil this Thursday (January 4) and in South Korea the following Wednesday (January 10).
Warner Bros.'s The Color Purple placed in fourth with updated respective three-day and four-day estimates of $11.74 million and $14.86 million. On the heels of last Monday's strong $18.15 million Christmas Day start, The Color Purple has displayed significant initial front-loading and the fact that this weekend's four-day gross came in below last Monday's one-day performance is certainly concerning for the film as it continues to go forward. Through Monday, the eight-day domestic start for The Color Purple stands at $47.16 million.
It's proving to be a very tight race for fifth place this weekend between Amazon MGM Studios' The Boys in the Boat and Sony's Anyone But You. Updated three-day estimates give Anyone But You the slight edge over The Boys in the Boat: $8.75 million to $8.40 million. However, updated four-day estimates currently give The Boys in the Boat the slight edge over Anyone But You: $11.22 million to $11.00 million. Obviously the four-day estimates for the two films are close enough to one another that the order of finish won't be determined until the release of actuals on Tuesday. Respective total domestic grosses through Monday stand at $27.09 million in eleven days for Anyone But You and at $24.81 million for The Boys in the Boat in eight days. Anyone But You held up especially well this weekend, as the film's three-day performance was up an impressive 45.6 percent over last weekend's three-day start. This weekend also saw Anyone But You begin its international run with an estimated $5.8 million from 14 select international markets. That places the film's global total through Sunday at $30.6 million.
Meanwhile, A24's The Iron Claw took seventh with respective estimated three-day and four-day grosses of $5.04 million and $6.91 million, and NEON's Ferrari followed in eighth with respective estimated three-day and four-day takes of $4.06 million and $5.21 million. It should be noted that estimates for both films are from Sunday, as updated official estimates weren't released for either film on Monday. Respective total domestic grosses through Monday stand at $18.22 million in eleven days for The Iron Claw and at $12.07 million for Ferrari in eight days.
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