Warner Bros.’ Wonka, lauded as one of Mashable’s standout movies of 2023, is proving to be a triumphant force at the box office.
Wonka movie, Box office success
The enchanting origin tale of Roald Dahl’s renowned chocolatier, masterfully portrayed by Timothée Chalamet and directed by Paul King of Paddington fame, soared to impressive heights with a staggering $14.4 million in its inaugural day in the US, as reported by Variety. Projections anticipate a weekend total of $35 million, solidifying Wonka as Chalamet’s second number-one film at the box office, following his success with 2021’s Dune.
While Wonka’s $125 million production budget, excluding promotional expenses, suggests a journey to profitability, the film’s performance stands out, surpassing recent struggles faced by other movie musicals like West Side Story and In the Heights. This success prompts speculation on whether Warner Bros.’ upcoming musical, The Color Purple, will follow suit.
In other box office developments, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes positions itself for a strong second place, while Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron experiences a fall to third after an initial number one debut last weekend—an unprecedented occurrence for a Miyazaki film in the US. Securing fourth place is the kaiju spectacle Godzilla Minus One, with Trolls Band Together rounding out the top five in this cinematic lineup.