Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom emerged as the leader, raking in an estimated $28.1 million in its first three days of release in North America in a pre-Christmas weekend marked by several new releases.
The DC and Warner Bros. superhero sequel, featuring Jason Momoa, is anticipated to reach around $40 million in domestic ticket sales by Monday.
Despite a lineup of diverse offerings, including animated family film Migration, R-rated romantic comedy Anyone But You, wrestling tragedy The Iron Claw, and ghostly tearjerker All of Us Strangers, the weekend proved quieter than usual at the box office. This subdued performance might be attributed to audiences prioritising alternative holiday activities over cinema outings.
Christmas Eve falling on a prime weekend day also impacted the box office, with memories of 2017’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi dominating charts during that similar holiday configuration.
On Christmas Day, moviegoers can expect additional releases, including the big-budget musical adaptation of The Color Purple, Michael Mann’s racing film Ferrari, and George Clooney’s adaptation of the rowing drama The Boys in the Boat. These films, along with others, are poised to enjoy a boost between Christmas and New Year’s, traditionally a lucrative period for theatres.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, with an estimated production cost of $200 million, is projected to achieve a global debut of $120 million, considering international estimates of $80 million through Monday. This marks the end of a challenging year for DC superhero films, with Aquaman 2 concluding the previous administration’s slate.
Warner Bros., the studio behind Aquaman, also claims the second spot with Wonka and anticipates a strong presence in the top five by Monday. Wonka, in its second weekend, earned an estimated $17.7 million, bringing its total domestic earnings to $83.6 million.
Other notable performances include Illumination and Universal’s Migration securing third place with $12.3 million and the romantic comedy Anyone But You landing in fourth place with $6.2 million.
