Even thoughunforeseen circumstancescreated a hurdle in what could have been one of the most lucrative quarters for any star in recent memory —Dune: Part Twowas supposed to be released beforeWonka—Timothée Chalametestablished his A-list status this weekend with not one, buttwo films in the top 10 at the global box office. WhileDune: Part Twodelivereda sandworm-sized debutin its first weekend, Chalamet’s biggest-ever hit,Wonka,continued drawing crowds despite having played in theaters for nearly three monthsand being available to watch at home.
This weekend— its 12th overall — the musical drama added $1.7 million domestically, finishing eighth, and another $3.3 million from overseas markets. This took the film’s total domestic haul to $216 million, and its gross overseas haul to $407 million, for acumulative global total of $624 million. The film is eyeing a lifetime worldwide box office of around $630 million — a massive return on investment for everybody involved, consideringWonkareportedly cost $125 million to produce.
The film debuted around Christmastime, braving competition fromAquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the animated hitMigration, and a handful of awards contenders.Wonkahas shown spectacular holdssince then, with its biggest domestic drop (54%) coming back in weekend two. In fact, it actually jumped in weekend three, grossing $22 million domestically as compared to the previous frame’s $18 million haul. Although audience reception for the film has been exceptional —Wonkaholds a 91% audience approval rating onRotten Tomatoesand an A- CinemaScore — the film’s success wasn’t always a sure thing.
‘Wonka’ Marked a Return to Form for Movie Musicals
Warner Bros. was so uncertain of the film’s bankability that itattempted to mask the fact that it was a musical. The studio used a similar marketing strategy onThe Color Purple, while Paramount borrowed the same move forMean Girls. With each film doing well at the box office — to different degrees, of course —the myth that audiences are fed up with an entire genre can perhaps now be dismissed. Reviews were also onWonka’s side; the film holds a “fresh” 82% score on RT, continuing directorPaul King’s dream run.
Best known for his belovedPaddington movies, King jumped franchises to work onWonka, whichwill almost certainly get a sequel.This would put Chalamet in the rarest of positions. How many stars do we know who can front two non-comic book franchises simultaneously? A prequel toRoald Dahl’s classic “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,”Wonkaalso starsCalah Lane,Keegan-Michael Key,Sally Hawkins,Olivia ColmanandHugh Grant. you may watch the film in theaters and at home, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Based on the extraordinary character at the center of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, ‘Wonka’ tells the wondrous story of how the world’s greatest inventor, magician and chocolate-maker became the beloved Willy Wonka we know today.
