In a twist that many did not see coming, the motion picture industry has managed to achieve a remarkable feat in 2023 by surpassing the $9 billion mark at the domestic box office. This accomplishment seemed unimaginable, given the absence of a mega-tentpole release over the holiday season and the challenges faced in the fourth quarter. However, it was a diversified range of movies, targeting both family and adult audiences, that contributed to this outstanding performance. Filmmakers such as Warner Bros. played a significant role, with movies like “Wonka,” leading the New Year’s box office with $33 million, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” earning $26 million, and “The Color Purple,” garnering $16.2 million. Adult-oriented films like “The Boys in the Boat” and even the YA romantic comedy “Anyone But You” also made their mark, with impressive earnings of $11.6 million and $10.56 million, respectively. This article will delve into the details of this unexpected success, assessing the performances of major studios and examining the overall trends in the industry.
Despite fierce competition, Universal emerged as the undeniable winner in the domestic box office race, raking in an impressive $1.93 billion by the end of Sunday. This marked an 18% increase from the previous year, driven by the success of movies such as “Super Mario Bros,” which amassed $574.9 million and claimed the title of the second highest-grossing film of the year. Other hits like “Oppenheimer,” “Fast X,” and “Five Nights at Freddy’s” also contributed significantly to Universal’s triumph. This victory is particularly noteworthy as it is the first time since 2015 that Universal has surpassed industry giant Disney to secure the top spot. Disney, on the other hand, claimed the second position with earnings of $1.89 billion, a slight decline of 2% compared to the previous year. Warner Bros., with a massive 50% increase in earnings from 2022, followed closely behind with $1.4 billion.
Universal’s success at the domestic box office is just a small part of its overall achievements in 2023. The studio has already crossed the $4 billion mark globally, joining an elite group of studios to accomplish this remarkable feat. Prior to 2023, Universal had surpassed this milestone in 2015, 2017, and 2018. In contrast, Disney achieved global earnings of $4.9 billion in 2022, crossing the $4 billion mark in August. Universal’s accomplishments in the global market are a testament to the studio’s ability to deliver compelling content that resonates with audiences worldwide. While rival studios may have initially dismissed Universal’s animated film “Migration,” which received a 72% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has proven its worth with a projected 4-day earning of $21.5 million, putting it in a strong third place. With an estimated domestic total of $58.5 million, “Migration” is expected to trail behind Disney’s underperforming film “Wish” by a mere 4%, positioning itself for a sturdy final box office destination of $100 million.
Let’s take a closer look at the numbers. As of Saturday, the 4-day New Year’s weekend box office chart stood as follows:
1. “Wonka” (WB): With 4,115 theaters and a Friday earning of $8.6 million, the film is projected to reach $33 million by the end of the weekend.
2. “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” (WB): Showing in 3,787 theaters, the movie earned $6.75 million on Friday and is expected to reach $26 million over the 4-day weekend.
3. “Migration” (Ill/Uni): With 3,839 theaters and a Friday earning of $6.7 million, the film is expected to gross $21.5 million over the weekend, bringing its total to $58.5 million since its release.
4. “The Color Purple” (WB): Showing in 3,203 theaters, the movie earned $4.1 million on Friday and is expected to reach $16.2 million over the 4-day weekend, bringing its total to $48.4 million so far.
5. “Boys in the Boat” (AMZ MGM): With 2,557 theaters, the film earned $2.7 million on Friday and is on track to earn $11.587 million over the weekend, accumulating a total of $25.1 million.
6. “Anyone But You” (Sony): Showing in 3,055 theaters, the movie earned $3.3 million on Friday and is projected to reach $10.56 million by the end of the weekend, with a total of $26.6 million.
7. “The Iron Claw” (A24): Showing in 2,794 theaters, the movie earned $1.74 million on Friday and is expected to earn $6.2 million over the 4-day weekend, totaling $17.5 million.
8. “Ferrari” (NEON): Showing in 2,386 theaters, the film earned $1.3 million on Friday and is projected to earn $5.4 million over the 4-day weekend, reaching $12.2 million in total.
9. “Hunger Games – Songbirds & Snakes” (LG): With 1,660 theaters, the movie earned $1.1 million on Friday and is on track to earn $3.78 million over the weekend, amassing a total of $160.7 million since its release.
10. “Poor Things” (Sea): Showing in 800 theaters, the film earned $808,000 on Friday and is projected to earn $3.08 million over the 4-day weekend, totaling $8 million since its release.
The article also briefly touches on the performances of other major studios. Sony, with a 13% increase in earnings from the previous year, reached $955 million. Paramount experienced a decline of 35%, settling at $837.4 million. Lionsgate saw an incredible 623% surge, earning $580.4 million. Amazon MGM followed this trend, with earnings of $270.3 million, up by 164% from 2022. Variance, led by AMC concert films like “Taylor Swift: Eras Tour” and “Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce,” reached $216.4 million. Angel Studios achieved earnings of $207.8 million, and A24 experienced a 15% increase, reaching $137.2 million.
In addition to discussing box office earnings, the article highlights other interesting trends in 2023. AMC Theatres emerged as the top exhibitor, generating $2.1 billion in revenue, a 23% increase from 2022. Regal secured the second position, earning $1.4 billion, a 16% increase. Cinemark came in third place with $1.4 billion, recording a 22% growth. The highest-grossing theater in the U.S. was AMC Burbank, with approximately $22 million in ticket sales, seeing a 25% increase from the previous year. AMC Empire followed closely behind as the second-h