In a mesmerizing box office debut, Timothée Chalamet takes center stage as the eccentric chocolatier in the captivating musical fantasy, “Wonka,” amassing an impressive $39 million over the weekend.
This delightful beginning sets the stage for a potentially magical run, especially during the holiday season, for Warner Bros.’ family film, which boasted a budget of $125 million. Historically, December releases may not achieve massive opening weekends, yet they often exhibit remarkable staying power throughout the new year. Encouragingly, “Wonka” has received an “A-” CinemaScore from audiences and garnered positive reviews from critics, earning an impressive 83% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. These accolades suggest that the PG film has every chance of standing strong against upcoming releases, including Universal and Illumination’s animated film, “Migration,” Warner Bros.’ musical adaptation of “The Color Purple,” and the highly-anticipated DC sequel, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.”
David A. Gross, head of the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research, comments on the film’s positive reception, stating, “‘Wonka’ captures the perfect holiday tone, and audience sentiment is highly positive. Additionally, the film’s genre historically performs well internationally.”
Moreover, “Wonka” solidifies Timothée Chalamet’s star power, becoming the third actor to bring life to the beloved Roald Dahl character. First embodied by Gene Wilder in 1971’s “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” and later portrayed by Johnny Depp in the 2005 remake, Chalamet’s performance in “Wonka” further cements his status as a versatile actor. While Chalamet has previously headlined blockbusters like “Dune” and charmed audiences with independent hits such as “Call Me By Your Name” and “Little Women,” the success of “Wonka” largely hinges on his ability to captivate viewers with his songs and dance numbers in a world of pure imagination. Directed by the acclaimed filmmaker Paul King, known for his work on “Paddington,” and featuring a stellar cast including Olivia Colman, Keegan-Michael Key, and Hugh Grant as an Oompa-Loompa, the prequel delves into the early days of Willy Wonka, taking audiences on a mesmerizing journey long before the memorable tale of a poor boy named Charlie Bucket and his golden ticket to the world-famous, heavily guarded chocolate factory.
International audiences have already been enchanted by “Wonka,” with an impressive $43 million debut last weekend. The film continued its triumph, adding another $53.6 million from 77 markets, resulting in a worldwide tally of $150 million.
As the sole new nationwide release this weekend, “Wonka” dominated the box office, taking the top spot. Meanwhile, other notable films like Lionsgate’s “Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” and Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron” maintained their presence on the charts.
In second place, the highly-anticipated “Hunger Games” prequel garnered $6.1 million from 3,291 theaters in its fifth weekend of release. Remarkably, the film has consistently remained in the top two since its November debut, amassing an impressive $145 million domestically and an impressive $300 million globally to date.