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Posted December 17, 2023 by Mike Tyrkus in News
 
 

Box-Office Weekend: Wonka Is King

For the third week in a row, a new film sits atop the box-office weekend as Wonka debuted in the top spot, besting the second-place film by $33.2 million.

"Wonka" posterOver its first three days in release, Wonka brought in $39.0 million for Warner Bros., easily claiming the top spot of the weekend box office. In a distant second place, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes managed to earn $5.8 million in its fifth weekend in release for Lionsgate Films, bringing the film’s overall total to $145.2 million. Meanwhile, last weekend’s top film, The Boy and the Heron fell two spots to land in third place where it added $5.2 million for GKIDS, bringing its total gross to $23.1 million. Also falling a spot this weekend, and finishing in fourth place, was Godzilla Minus One with $4.9 million earned over the last three days. This gives the film a three-week total of $34.6 million. Dropping to fifth place from fourth, where it added $4.0 million over the weekend, was the Universal Pictures product Trolls Band Together. That film now boasts a five-week tally of $88.7 million.

Holding its ground in sixth place, Wish added $3.2 million over the weekend, bringing its four-week total to $54.3 million for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Also, standing pat in its previous position was Napoleon which brought in $2.2 million for Columbia Pictures, giving the film a four-week total of $57.0 million. Falling from fifth- to eighth-place this weekend, Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé made $2.0 million giving it a three-week total of $30.9 million. The second debut of the weekend, Poor Things landed in ninth-place where it made $1.3 million for Searchlight Pictures. Finally, holding steady in tenth place was The Shift which brought in $1.0 million for Angel Studios, raising its three-week total to $10.6 million.

Only two films were forced out of the top ten this weekend as last week’s eight- and ninth-place finishers but failed to make this weekend’s list. After climbing to eight-place last weekend, Waitress: The Musical did not repeat the effort this weekend, instead leaving with only $5.0 million to show for its limited release. Meanwhile, Animal dropped from ninth place last weekend sporting a three-week total of $13.6 million.

Weekend Box Office (December 15th – December 17th)

    1. Wonka…$39.0 Million
    2. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes…$5.8 Million
    3. The Boy and the Heron…$5.2 Million
    4. Godzilla Minus One…$4.9 Million
    5. Trolls Band Together…$4.0 Million
    6. Wish…$3.2 Million
    7. Napoleon…$2.2 Million
    8. Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé…$2.0 Million
    9. Poor Things…$1.3 Million
    10. The Shift…$1.0 Million
Mike Tyrkus

Mike Tyrkus

Editor in Chief at CinemaNerdz.com
An independent filmmaker, co-writer and director of over a dozen short films, the Editor in Chief of CinemaNerdz.com has spent much of the last three decades as a writer and editor specializing in biographical and critical reference sources in literature and the cinema, beginning in February 1991 reviewing films for his college newspaper. He was a member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, as well as the group's webmaster and one-time President for over a decade until the group ceased to exist. His contributions to film criticism can be found in Magill's Cinema Annual, VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (of which he was the editor for nearly a decade until it too ceased to exist), the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, and the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia (on which he collaborated with editor Andrew Sarris). He has also appeared on the television program Critic LEE Speaking alongside Lee Thomas of FOX2 and Adam Graham, of The Detroit News. He currently lives in the Detroit area with his wife and their dogs.