The Timothee Chalamet-starring musical fantasy film is back at the top of the domestic chart as it sees resurgence in ticket sales during NYE weekend, while 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom' sinks to No. 2.
- Jan 2, 2024
AceShowbiz - "Wonka" ended 2023 on a sweet note. Paul King's musical fantasy film reclaims the top spot at New Year's Box Office in North America after collecting an estimated $22.7 million on its third weekend.
Thew latest adaptation of Roald Dahl's 1964 novel "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" saw a 25.6% rise in ticket sales on its third weekend. The Timothee Chalamet-starrer is additionally projected to gross $29.5 for the four-day holiday. That would bring the domestic haul to $104.2 million and closer to $400 million gross globally.
While "Wonka" enjoyed a resurgence during the New Year's Eve weekend, "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" sinks on its second weekend. The "Aquaman" sequel tumbles to No. 2 with an estimated $18.3 million, down 34% from its first weekend.
Universal and Illumination's animated adventure comedy "Migration" holds on to the third place with approximately $17 million, rising 36.6% from its last week's cume. It has so far grossed $59.1 million domestically and $46.5 million internationally for a worldwide gross of $105.6 million.
At No. 4 is newcomer "The Color Purple", which debuts to an estimated $11.7 million during the weekend. It's projected to earn $14.8 million for the four-day holiday after receiving a boost from positive reviews by critics.
R-rated romantic comedy "Anyone But You" starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell rounds out the top five, adding an estimated $8.8 million for the weekend and a projected $11 million over the four-day holiday.
Overall, the 2023 domestic box office crossed $9 billion, the highest in the post-pandemic era. That marks a 20 percent gain over 2022, though it's still down 20 percent to 21 percent from 2019, the last year before the COVID-19 crisis.
"Hitting $9 billion is more than just about dollars and cents, it's about the lessons learned in what was arguably one of the most significant and challenging years for the movie business," says Comscore Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian. "Moviegoers are the most powerful players in Hollywood and are providing actionable intelligence on a weekly basis to studios and creatives who can learn much from the unexpected success of films that were not even on the radar at the beginning of the year."
He adds, "As a historic box office year comes to a close amidst the tumultuous backdrop of strikes, streaming and shifting audience tastes, the bottom line is that the theatrical experience remains an essential part of the entertainment ecosystem."
Top 10 of North American Box Office (Dec. 29-31, 2023):
- "Wonka" - $22.7 million
- "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" - $18.3 million
- "Migration" - $17 million
- "The Color Purple" - $11.7 million
- "Anyone But You" - $8.8 million
- "The Boys in the Boat" - $8.4 million
- "The Iron Claw" - $5 million
- "Ferrari" - $4.1 million
- "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" - $2.9 million
- "The Boy and the Heron" - $2.5 million
