Warner Bros/Village Roadshow/Heyday Films’ latest release, Wonka, directed by Paul King and starring Timothée Chalamet, has expanded its international reach. After its impressive opening in 37 international box office markets last weekend, the film launched in the remaining countries worldwide this session, with the exception of Korea, which is scheduled for a late January release. The results of Wonka’s expansion are undeniably sweet, as the film grossed an additional $53.6 million during its sophomore session in a total of 77 overseas markets. With this impressive performance, the movie’s offshore cumulative earnings now stand at $112.4 million. Combining the international success with its domestic performance, Wonka’s global box office revenue has reached a total of $151.4 million.
Among the newly opened markets, France takes the lead with an astounding $5.1 million, securing the top spot and surpassing all comparable films. Meanwhile, in Australia, Wonka’s $4 million weekend debut ranks as the second-biggest opening weekend for a Warner Bros film in 2023 and the second-biggest family-oriented opening weekend of the year. Italy also demonstrated great enthusiasm for the film, generating $3.4 million in its opening weekend, securing the clear number one spot and surpassing the performance of similar films. Additionally, Wonka has achieved remarkable success in IMAX theaters, with a cumulative global revenue of $8.7 million.
Disney’s animated film, Wish, continues to gain traction in the international market. Notably, the film experienced a solid -38% hold, indicating strong audience retention. Wish debuted in Japan this weekend, earning an impressive $4.4 million and claiming the number one spot for non-local animated films, making it the second-largest opening for this genre in the country this year. Collectively, Wish generated $12.2 million in 39 offshore markets, adding to its international total of $72 million and pushing the global earnings to $126.2 million. Markets like Italy, Australia, Korea, and Brazil are still to come, and it will be highly interesting to witness the film’s performance in these territories. As of now, the top five markets for Wish are France ($9.2 million), the UK ($8.4 million), Germany ($7.7 million), China ($5.9 million), and Spain ($4.8 million).
The global earnings for Ridley Scott’s Apple Original Films produced and Sony Pictures-distributed film, Napoleon, have reached an impressive $188.4 million. The film’s international weekend performance adds $8 million in 65 markets, bringing the overseas cumulative revenue to $131.4 million. Holdover markets have played a crucial role in sustaining the film’s success, with a collective decline of only 51%. The top five markets for Napoleon currently are the UK ($15.7 million), France ($13.5 million), Germany ($9.6 million), Spain ($9.4 million), and Italy ($8.3 million).
Lionsgate’s much-anticipated film, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, is quickly approaching the $300 million milestone on the global box office front. The film’s overseas weekend earnings amounted to $6.5 million in 84 markets, boosting the offshore cumulative revenue to $155.3 million and the worldwide total to $300.5 million. The top five markets contributing to the film’s success so far are the UK ($19.8 million), Germany ($14.6 million), Australia ($12.5 million), France ($11.7 million), and Mexico ($10.1 million).
Universal/Illumination’s film, Migration, which follows a staggered release strategy, has added $5.2 million to its overseas box office earnings during its second week. The film is currently playing in 26 offshore markets and has generated a cumulative revenue of $12.3 million. Migration’s performance in these markets is on par with other successful films such as Wish, Encanto, and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, excluding preview screenings. Notably, the film opened in Mexico at the second spot with $2 million, including $200,000 from previews. This opening aligns closely with the performances of Encanto and Wish, and positive reviews from Mexican press suggest strong midweek performance due to the ongoing winter break for schools, lasting until January 8th. The top five markets for Migration as of now are France ($3.1 million), Italy ($2.3 million), Mexico ($2 million), China ($1.5 million), and Belgium ($570,000). Furthermore, there are still several key markets ahead in the film’s long rollout, including Germany, Spain, Australia, Brazil, Korea, the UK, and Japan.
The international box office has seen remarkable achievements in recent releases. Wonka, Wish, Napoleon, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, and Migration have all made a significant impact in various markets, captivating audiences and generating impressive revenues. These films have proven their appeal and ability to attract audiences globally, solidifying their positions as top contenders in the international box office race.