Weekly The Generation, Year 1, Issue 17
December 26, 2023
In a splashy victory at the North American box office, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” emerged as the top-grossing film over the Christmas weekend. The DC and Warner Bros. superhero sequel, headlined by Jason Momoa, reeled in an estimated USD 28.1 million during its first three days in 3,706 locations. Projections for Monday put the film at a robust USD 40 million in domestic ticket sales.
Despite a slew of new releases, such as the family-friendly animated film “Migration”, the R-rated romantic comedy “Anyone But You”, and the wrestling tragedy “The Iron Claw”; and the ghostly tearjerker “All of Us Strangers”, the pre-holiday frame turned out to be somewhat subdued at the box office. It appears that potential moviegoers may have had other priorities during this festive season.
The confluence of Christmas Eve falling on a prime weekend day likely contributed to the quieter weekend. Social media chatter also noted that this weekend was initially earmarked for the release of Patty Jenkins’ “Star Wars” movie, “Rogue Squadron.”
The estimated USD 200 million production cost of “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” is substantial, not accounting for marketing and promotion expenses. Including international estimates of USD 80 million through Monday, the film is set for a USD 120 million global debut. Its predecessor, released in 2018, opened to USD 67.8 million and ultimately grossed nearly USD 1.2 billion worldwide.
Warner Bros, the studio behind “Aquaman”, also secured the second spot with “Wonka”, now in its second weekend, earning an estimated USD 17.7 million over the weekend and USD 26.1 million by Monday, bringing its total domestic earnings to USD 83.6 million.
