Wonka Is Off To A Sweeter Than Expected Start At The Box Office
Warner Bros. has found itself a hit with "Wonka." The musical prequel to Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" starring Timothee Chalamet as the title character opened in theaters in the U.S. over the weekend and wound up beating industry projections. It topped the charts with a $39 million debut, benefitting greatly from a lack of direct competition. This is good news that the industry at large could sorely use as we head into an uncertain holiday season, with a very bare release calendar on the horizon for the first chunk of 2024.
"Wonka," directed by Paul King (of "Paddington" fame), got a head start overseas, opening in several key markets earlier this month. It has gone well so far, as the film has amassed $112.4 million to date internationally. That gives it a strong $151.4 million running total heading into Christmas week, which will see Warner Bros. also release "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" and "The Color Purple." But this hopes to be a family-friendly option for audiences through the end of the year and it figures to have long legs as a result. Even against a higher-than-expected $125 million production budget, this is an encouraging start.
The film focuses on a young Willy Wonka as he sets out to realize his dream of becoming one of the world's premier chocolate makers. Critics have been mostly kind to the prequel thus far, but audiences have eaten it up, giving it a really strong A- CinemaScore. Again, the crowd-pleasing nature of the movie will help it have a longer shelf life well beyond opening weekend. You can read /Film's 7 out of 10 review of the film right here.
Timothee Chalamet's Willy Wonka to the rescue
More than just Warner Bros. trying to end a mixed year on a high note, this is a welcome surprise that the industry could truly use right now. The November box office was down nearly 14% in 2023 compared to 2022, making it a rough month for movie theaters. Movies like "The Marvels" and "Wish" significantly underperformed during the month, putting even more pressure on the December release calendar. "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" faces an uncertain fate and it's difficult to say what other movies arriving in the final weeks of the year, such as "The Iron Claw" and Illumination's original animated feature "Migration," will do in terms of ticket sales.
This is to say, the success of "Wonka" is most welcome. The question now is what the ceiling might be for the musical. The truth is, if things go really well, it could be sky-high. Let us not forget that when audiences respond to musicals, they can have unusually long legs. Just look at "The Greatest Showman" opening to just $8.8 million back in December 2017 before legging out to $174 million domestically and $435 million worldwide. There's also "La La Land" ($447 million worldwide) or even eventual Best Picture winner "Chicago" ($306 million worldwide) 20 years ago.
The other factor here is awards season, which is in full swing. Chalamet already scored an acting nomination at the Golden Globes. If the film can secure some Oscars love, it could help keep the money coming in well into the new year. Not to mention the potential for the film's original songs to take off, providing another revenue stream and avenue for exposure. For now, it's a sweet victory in the early running.
"Wonka" is in theaters now.