It looks like Warner Bros. won the Golden Ticket this past weekend. Wonka had its domestic opening weekend, and alongside its second weekend internationally, its global and domestic box office crushed projections. The Timothรฉe Chalamet and Hugh Grant film was set to gross between $35-40 million and landed at $39 million over the three-day weekend.
In some territories, the film has been playing since December 8. Between that time and North America getting the film released, it has crossed $150 million worldwide. The film had a budget of $125 million, so now it is in money-making territory.
Breaking Down the Global Opening Weekend of Wonka as It Rakes in Big Numbers at the Box Office
The Wonka opening weekend led it to breaking a hyper-specific record for December musicals. The Paul King-directed film had the best opening for a live-action musical released in December, beating out Les Misรฉrables‘ $27.3 million. It did not surpass Charlie and the Chocolate Factory‘s $56 million due to Johnny Depp being at the top of his game and the theater business in a better pre-COVID place.
The chocolate-covered musical topped the domestic charts with $39 million. Several factors have come into play for its successful start. For one, it is in the most theaters as it is playing more than the Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (3,291 theaters), while the chocolatier is in 4,203 theaters. Secondly, a family movie during the holidays is the best time to get families in seats. Then, there is the Chalamet factor, as younger audiences are big fans of the Dune actor. Finally, the franchise itself, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, is a beloved classic, with the Depp version being divisive but still holding sweet nostalgia.
The opening weekend numbers for Wonka are not the only tell that it will be a hit. Its reviews have largely been positive for audiences (91%) and critics (84%) on Rotten Tomatoes. In our official review, we gave it a respectable 7/10. While some effects missed the mark, and it relied too much on the original, it told a “fantastical tale through a heart-warming story and great songs.”
