Christmas weekend proved rather lucrative for Warner Bros. at the domestic box office, where the studio saw three of its releases — Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Wonka, and The Color Purple — claim the top three spots, per Deadline. Aquaman 2 took the crown but managed a mediocre $38.3 million over the 4-day holiday ($27.7M 3-day), effectively putting a nail in the coffin of the DCEU.
Luckily for Aquaman, international audiences turned out to see Jason Momoa’s second solo outing. Worldwide, the James Wan-directed flick cruised past $120.1M and is tracking ahead of Black Adam, The Flash, and The Marvels. IMAX repped $14M from 1,522 screens over the holiday.
Elsewhere, Wonka collected $118M (-54%) in its second weekend and $28.3M over the 4-day frame to raise its cume to $85.8M. Globally, the musical has earned $254.9M following a solid hold internationally.
However, the big surprise of the week is the $18.15M earned by The Color Purple on Christmas Day. The pic came in higher than expected and rode strong reviews to a stellar opening. Audiences agreed with critics on this one, awarding the film an A CinemaScore, which bodes well for the film’s holiday run. That number actually bested Aquaman’s ($10.6M) and Wonka’s ($10.3M) Monday totals and marks the second-biggest Christmas Day opening behind Sherlock Holmes ($24.6M) in 2009. Wow!
Also opening on Christmas Day was Amazon MGM’s The Boys in the Boat, from director George Clooney, which grossed $5.7M from 2,557 theaters, and Neon’s Ferrari, from director Michael Mann, which cruised to $2.85M in 2,330 theaters. The latter received an A CinemaScore, while Mann’s latest effort earned a B.
Universal’s animated Migration also did decent business, earning $12.4M over the 3-day weekend and $17.8M over the 4-day holiday. Sony’s Anyone But You managed $6M/$8M from 3,055 theaters, and A24’s Iron Claw collected $4.86M/$6.799M.
Also, Godzilla Minus One continued to impress, crossing $40.98M domestically after earning $2.64M/$3.5M. See you next year!
Box Office Results: Domestic Top 10
1.) Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (WB) 3,706 theaters, Fri $13.7M, Sat $9M, Sun $5M Mon $10.6M 3-day $27.7M, 4-day $38.3M/Wk 1
2.) Wonka (WB) 4,213 (+10) theaters, Fri $6.5M (-55%) Sat $7M Sun $4.55M, Mon $10.3M 3-day $18M (-54%), 4-day $28.3M/Total $85.8M/Wk 2
3.) The Color Purple, 3,151 theaters, Mon $18.15M, Day 1
4.) Migration (Ill/Uni) 3,761 theaters, Fri 3-day $5.8M, Sat $4.1M Sun $2.55M Mon $5.3M 3-day $12.4M, 4-day $17.8M, Wk 1
5.) Anyone But You (Sony) 3,055 theaters, Fri $3.4M, Sat. $1.77M Sun $755K Mon $2M 3-day $6M, 4-day $8M, Wk 1
6.) Iron Claw (A24) 2,771 theaters, Fri $2.5M, Sat $1.55M Sun $818K Mon $1.93M 3-day $4.86M, 4-day $6.799M/Wk 1
7.) Salaar Part 1 Ceasefire (Prath) 796 theaters Fri $3.8M, Sat $1M Sun $726K Mon $831K 3-day $5.605M 4-day $6.43M/Wk 1
8.) The Boys in the Boat (AMZ MGM) 2,557 theaters Mon $5.7M, Day 1
9.) Hunger Games: Songbirds & Snakes (LG) 2,509 (-782) theaters, Fri $1.2M (-29%) Sat $1.2M Sun $628K Mon $1.1M 3-day $3.04M (-48%), 4-day $4.1Mtotal $153.4M/Wk 6
10.) Dunki (Yash Raj) 686 theaters, Fri $923K Sat $973K Sun $818K Mon $941K 3-day $2.7M 4-day $3.655M/Total $4.5M/Wk 1
