…and just like that in an eye blink, 2023 is coming to an end. We are almost in the last month of the year and overall I’d say this has been a great year for cinema. We had one film from almost all renowned directors, be it Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, Ridley Scott, etc. I think the only person not to join the party was Denis Villeneuve. However, I don’t thing anyone should believe that it is a close on cinema for 2023 because the last month of the year also promises something sweet. I’m referring to Paul King’s newest iteration of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory starring Timothée Chalamet in the titular role. Despite kept for last, it looks like the audience has enough appetite for Wonka to generate excellent figures at the box office.
Wonka Will Be Benefitted By Christmas Weekend!
According a recent report, Wonka is tracking anywhere between $35-$40 million in its opening box office weekend with room to grow in its second weekend thanks to Christmas. This is a higher figure than an earlier report suggested just today. The film is reportedly tracking great with women under 25. More than that, unaided awareness (i.e. viewers’ awareness of a film without marketing impact) is tracking equally well with females, coming in slightly above pre-release number of the Super Mario Bros. Movie, and well ahead of other big holiday season family-film releases like Trolls Band Together (2023) and Mary Poppins Returns (2018).
Marry Poppins is an interesting comparison for Wonka, as the film opened on December 19th in 2018 and was projected to earn $40-$50 million only to be swayed by DC’s Aquaman which offered a family film appeal and went onto make a billion dollars. Mary Poppins Returns ended up with a worldwide total of $349.5M on a budget of $130M. Wonka will face a similar challenge 5 years later as Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is releasing on the Christmas weekend. Giving many male viewers a suitable alternative.
Universal Pictures’ animated duck movie Migration will also be arriving just before Christmas, cutting into the demographic of child viewers and families with young children. Cinephiles drawn to big-name actors or directors will have Michael Mann and Adam Driver’s Ferrari. So, there is tough competition for Wonka. Although, if the film is able to cement its place in the first weekend then it might turn out to be a successful affair. Wonka is reportedly made on a budget of $125 million, so if it performs similar to Marry Poppins then the makers of the film will be over the moon. Tim Burton and Johnny Depp’s version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory opened to $56.1M domestically back in the summer of 2005.
Timothee Chalamet’s Wonka will release in theatres near you on 15th December 2023.
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