Hollywood closed out an up and down 2023 with regaining No. 1 at the box office, strong sales for 害羞草研究所淭he Color Purple害羞草研究所� and an overall $9 billion in ticket sales that improved on 2022害羞草研究所檚 grosses but fell about $2 billion shy of pre-pandemic norms.
The New Year害羞草研究所檚 weekend box office this year lacked a true blockbuster. (This time last year, 害羞草研究所淎vatar: The Way of Water害羞草研究所� was inundating theaters.) Instead, a wide array of films 害羞草研究所� among them 害羞草研究所淎quaman and the Lost Kingdom,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淭he Boys in the Boat,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淢igration,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淔errari,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淭he Iron Claw害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淎nyone But You害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� sought to break out over the year害羞草研究所檚 most lucrative box-office corridor.
The top choice, though, Paul King害羞草研究所檚 musical starring Timoth茅e Chalamet as a young Willy Wonka. In its third weekend, the Warner Bros. release collected an estimated $24 million Friday through Sunday and $31.8 million factoring in estimates for the Monday holiday. That brings the film害羞草研究所檚 domestical total to $142.5 million.
That bested Warner Bros.害羞草研究所� own which, like previous DC superhero films, is struggling. James Wan害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淎quaman害羞草研究所� sequel starring Jason Momoa took in $19.5 million in its second weekend to bring its two-week haul to a modest $84.7 million including New Year害羞草研究所檚 Day estimates.
The original 害羞草研究所淎quaman,害羞草研究所� which ultimately surpassed $1.1 billion worldwide, had grossed $215.4 million over a similar period in 2018 害羞草研究所� more than double that of the sequel. Internationally, 害羞草研究所淎quaman and the Lost Kingdom害羞草研究所� added $50.5 million.
Weekend sales only tell part of the story this time of year. From Christmas through New Year害羞草研究所檚, when kids are out of school and many adults aren害羞草研究所檛 working, every day is like Saturday to film distributors.
害羞草研究所淭he Color Purple,害羞草研究所� from Alice Walker害羞草研究所檚 novel, debuted on Monday and led all movies on Christmas with $18 million. Through the week, the Warner Bros. release has grossed $50 million, including $13 million Friday through Sunday. That害羞草研究所檚 a strong start for the crowd-pleaser starring Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson and Danielle Brooks. Audiences gave it an 害羞草研究所淎害羞草研究所� CinemaScore.
The roughly $100 million production, which boasts Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg and Quincy Jones (all from the 1985 film) as producers, should play well through awards season. It害羞草研究所檚 nominated for several Golden Globes and expected to be in the Oscar mix.
害羞草研究所淲e saw this opportunity to go wide at Christmas since there were so few movies and we were confident the movie would be well received,害羞草研究所� said Jeffrey Goldstein, distribution chief for Warner Bros. 害羞草研究所淕oing into the competitive landscape that害羞草研究所檚 so thin in January and February, the excitement of awards season could really help ignite a bigger box office.害羞草研究所�
Despite a blockbuster-less holiday frame, the last weekend of the year pushed the industry past $9 billion in box office for the year in U.S. and Canadian theaters for the first time since before the pandemic. Ticket sales on the year were up 21% from 2022, according to data firm Comscore.
Still, it was a mark that seemed more easily within reach during when both 害羞草研究所淏arbie害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淥ppenheimer害羞草研究所� were breaking box-office records.
The enormous success of those two films changed the trajectory of Hollywood害羞草研究所檚 2023, but so did the . Those forced the postponement of some top films (most notably ), diminishing an already patchwork fall lineup with few guaranteed ticket-sellers. One exception was the last-minute addition of which set a new record for concert films.
This year, Hollywood needed Swift and every penny to reach $9 billion. It crossed that threshold Saturday, with one day to spare. That total, though, still doesn害羞草研究所檛 come close to the $11 billion-plus years that preceded the pandemic. The number of wide releases in 2023 came about 20 films shy of those released in 2019.
The production delays caused by the strikes could have an even greater impact on 2024. Several top releases have already been postponed until at least the following year, including 害羞草研究所淢ission: Impossible害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淪pider-Verse害羞草研究所� sequels. After a rocky year for Marvel and a string of less predictable hits, Hollywood will have to 害羞草研究所� and that another 害羞草研究所淏arbie害羞草研究所� is lurking somewhere.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 an $11 billion business. We害羞草研究所檙e climbing our way back,害羞草研究所� said Goldstein. 害羞草研究所淭his next year is going to be a big challenge because of the strikes. But we害羞草研究所檙e seeing very clearly in 2023, when there are movies out there that people want to see, they come.害羞草研究所�
Meanwhile, a host of releases sought to capitalize over the holidays 害羞草研究所� and most succeeded.
害羞草研究所淭his crop of seven wide releases at the end of the year, they got us over the hump of $9 billion,害羞草研究所� said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore. 害羞草研究所淭his final push of the year provided great insight into what audiences are looking for. It害羞草研究所檚 movies big and small. It害羞草研究所檚 different types of movies.害羞草研究所�
Though 害羞草研究所淲辞苍办补害羞草研究所� won out as the family movie choice for the holidays, Universal Pictures害羞草研究所� is attracting young audiences, too. The animated movie from 害羞草研究所淢inions害羞草研究所�-maker Illumination notched $17.2 million in 3,839 theaters in its second weekend, and $59.4 million since opening.
the George Clooney-directed sports drama, grossed $24.6 million since opening Dec. 25. The Amazon MGM Studios release, about the U.S. men害羞草研究所檚 crew in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, wasn害羞草研究所檛 a smash with critics (58% 害羞草研究所渇resh害羞草研究所� on Rotten Tomatoes) but audiences gave it an 害羞草研究所淎害羞草研究所� CinemaScore. 害羞草研究所淭he Boys in the Boat,害羞草研究所� which cost about $40 million to make, could hold well in coming weeks.
Though romantic comedies have largely migrated to streaming platforms, Sony Pictures害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淎nyone But You害羞草研究所� is proving the genre can still work in theaters. The film, starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, collected $9 million in its second weekend to bring its total to $27.6 million through Monday.
Sean Durkin害羞草研究所檚 wrestling drama is also performing well. The A24 film, starring Zac Efron, Holt McCallany and Jeremy Allen White, has grossed $18 million since opening Dec. 22, including $5 million on the three-day weekend. The film dramatizes the tragic story of the Von Erich family.
a project the director sought to make for three decades, took in $10.9 million since launching in theaters on Monday, including $4.1 million for the weekend. While that ranks as one of the biggest debuts for indie distributor Neon, it害羞草研究所檚 nowhere near what a movie that cost close to $100 million to make needs to turn a profit.
The film, starring Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari, has been celebrated by critics, but appears likely to follow Mann害羞草研究所檚 previous film, 2015害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淏lackhat害羞草研究所� ($19.6 million worldwide against a $70 million budget), as a commercial disappointment.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. 害羞草研究所淲onka,害羞草研究所� $24 million.
2. 害羞草研究所淎quaman and the Lost Kingdom,害羞草研究所� $19.5 million.
3. 害羞草研究所淢igration,害羞草研究所� $17.2 million.
4. 害羞草研究所淭he Color Purple,害羞草研究所� $13 million.
5. 害羞草研究所淎nyone But You,害羞草研究所� $9 million.
6. 害羞草研究所淭he Boys in the Boat,害羞草研究所� $8.3 million.
7. 害羞草研究所淭he Iron Claw,害羞草研究所� $5 million.
8. 害羞草研究所淔errari,害羞草研究所� $4.1 million.
9. 害羞草研究所淭he Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,害羞草研究所� $2.9 million.
10. 害羞草研究所淭he Boy and the Heron,害羞草研究所� $2.5 million.
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