Timothy Chalamet’s leadership in ‘Wonka’ had a fantastic first day at the box office on Friday, earning $14.4 million across 4,203 theaters. This sets the stage for a North American opening of $38 million or more.
It’s an exciting start for this musical, a genre that has been making waves lately. ‘Wonka,’ produced by David Heyman of Warner Bros. and Harry Potter franchise fame, tells the whimsical origin story of Willy Wonka, the magical candyman immortalized by Gene Wilder in the classic film ‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.’
Audiences have applauded Chalamet’s Wonka, especially those aged 18 to 34, who made up 60% of ticket buyers on Friday. The largest chunk, 33%, came from the 18–24 age group, while another 10% were between 13 and 17. Chalamet’s star power is resonating well with young film enthusiasts, and so far, 54% of the audience is showing a slight female bias.
Directed by Paddington’s Paul King and starring Chalamet as the young Willy Wonka, the film boasts a star-studded cast, including Hugh Grant, Olivia Colman, Keegan-Michael Key, Kelly Marie Tran, Peter Sarsgaard, Matthew Beaumont, and many more.
Wonka is expected to continue singing its way through the holidays. The weekends are always a challenge for moviegoers, juggling between buying gifts and other preparations. However, after the gift-unwrapping frenzy on December 25th, foot traffic at multiplexes tends to pick up.
Warner Bros. is closing the year on a high note, with the DC superhero picture ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ releasing on December 22nd, followed by ‘The Color Purple’ on Christmas Day, which is also a musical. On the family-friendly front, Universal and Illumination’s original animated event picture ‘Migration’ will be arriving on December 22nd.
The musical genre has seen a rollercoaster of success in recent times, but ‘Wonka’ (and ‘The Color Purple’) hopes to turn the tide, aiming to match the success of films like ‘The Greatest Showman’ led by Hugh Jackman. This comes after a disappointing Christmas debut in 2017, but now they seem to have caught the rhythm. Hold tight and gather the riches!
Following the end of the AGI-AFTRA strike, ‘Wonka’ is one of the first Hollywood films to hit screens. Warner and the film producers are relieved to have Chalamet on board to promote and boost the PG-rated film. Young girls, especially, are being taken along with the young actor, who will be seen next in ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a role delayed until March by Warner and Legendary, allowing Chalamet and co-star Zendaya to press until then.
