‘Wonka’ is back at No. 1 at the box office amid slow start to 2024

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LOS ANGELES (AP) – Timothée Chalamet and “Wonka” It topped the box office charts for the third time in its four weekends in theatres. Warner Bros.’ The family-oriented musical added $14.4 million in ticket sales, bringing its total domestic gross to $164.7 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

“‘Wonka’ follows in the tradition of ‘The Greatest Showman,'” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at comScore. That Hugh Jackman musical debuted for less than $9 million in December 2017 and went on to gross $435 million globally.

Dergarabedian said, “‘Wonka’ is a great crowd pleaser released at just the right time and it will ride that wave through January.” “This is an opportune time to be in the market.”

after Ending 2023 on a high, 2024 is off to a slow start compared to last year, down nearly 16%, with Universal/Blumhouse horror “Night Swim” being the only major new offering in theaters. The film stars Wyatt Russell and Kerry Condon as a couple with a sinister, supernatural swimming pool.

“Night Swim” grossed an estimated $12 million in its first weekend in 3,250 theaters across North America, against a reported production budget of $15 million. Including international showings in 36 markets, “Night Swim” is on track for a $17.7 million global debut.

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Jim Orr, Universal’s head of domestic distribution, said, “Not only did it do well at the box office, it will make us look at every swimming pool with a little more trepidation.”

Horror movies are largely criticism-proof, but with overwhelmingly negative reviews and a C CinemaScore rating, it’s unlikely to repeat the viral success of last year’s demon doll film “M3GAN.”

“We don’t have ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’ which completely dominated the box office a year ago, or ‘M3GAN,’ which made it a big weekend,” Dergarabedian said. “But in terms of what this year is going to be like, it’s a little early to say.”

Warner Bros. and Universal also charted at number three and four on the charts. Warner Bros.’ DC superhero film “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” earned $10.6 million in its third weekend, bringing its domestic total to just over $100 million. Universal’s animated “Migration” added $10.3 million, bringing its domestic total to $77.8 million.

Sony’s Glen Powell and Sidney Sweeney romantic comedy “Anyone But You” finished fifth with $9.5 million, up 9% from the previous weekend. The film has earned $43.7 million so far.

Cineplexes are packed with awards contenders, including “The Color Purple,” “The Iron Claw” and “Poor Things,” and The Golden Globes aired Sunday night. Can help spread awareness about those and other films.

“The Golden Globes are like a 3-hour infomercial for the industry,” Dergarabedian said. “There’s no downside to having a very high profile broadcast that focuses on movies.”

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. “Wonka,” $14.4 million.

2. “Night Swim,” $12 million.

3. “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” $10.6 million.

4. “Migration,” $10.3 million.

5. “Anybody But You,” $9.5 million.

6. “The Boys in the Boat,” $6 million.

7. “The Color Purple,” $4.8 million.

8. “The Iron Claw,” $4.5 million.

9. “Ferrari,” $2.5 million.

10. “Bad Things,” $2 million.

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