Gal Gadot stars as Wonder Woman in “Wonder Woman 1984”.
Warner Bros.
“Wonder Woman 1984” flew into theaters on Christmas Day, providing the highest box office opening of any film released domestically since the coronavirus pandemic paralyzed the entertainment industry in mid-March.
On Sunday, Warner Bros. that the film was $ 16.7 million in the US and Canada. “Wonder Woman 1984” was one of the first big Hollywood blockbusters to be released in theaters and streaming on the same day.
The simultaneous release was intended for a limited number of open cinemas, limited seating, and a general audience that remains fearful of returning to the cinemas.
Warner Bros. parent AT&T said on Sunday that nearly half of HBO Max subscribers had watched “Wonder Woman 1984” on Christmas Day. Retail subscribers are those who buy the streaming service directly, not through a cable or other streaming subscription.
In October, HBO Max had approximately 3.6 million retail direct customers. It is unclear how many additional subscribers the company acquired before “Wonder Woman 1984” was released on the platform.
“Wonder Woman 1984 broke records and exceeded our expectations in all of our key viewing and subscriber metrics in the first 24 hours of the service, and the interest and momentum we see indicates that this is likely to continue well beyond the weekend” , said Andy Forssell, executive vice president and general manager of WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer division. “In these very difficult times, it was nice to give families the opportunity to enjoy this uplifting movie at home, where theater was not an option.”
The theatrical success of the film has led the studio to accelerate a third installment in the Wonder Woman franchise, the company said. It is being written and directed by Patty Jenkins, who was in charge of the previous two films and made it clear to the New York Times last week that she would not return to the franchise if no theatrical modeling was possible for the film.
Heading into the weekend, analysts weren’t sure the film could surpass the nearly $ 10 million that “The Croods: A New Age” brought in on its opening Thanksgiving weekend. There were concerns that viewers on HBO Max would significantly cannibalize ticket sales.
Still, even with hefty cash registers, there is concern from fans and critics about Warner Bros. DC Extended Universe.
A week before debuting in the US, “Wonder Woman 1984” had a score of 88% “Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes review site out of 92 reviews. As of Sunday afternoon, that score has dropped from 285 reviews to 65%.
While the film’s star, Gal Gadot, was critically acclaimed, the film itself was criticized for its weak narrative, plot inconsistencies, and low-quality CGI.
In comparison, the first “Wonder Woman” movie, released in 2017, scored 93%, the highest of any movie in the DC Extended Universe. Private viewers and large-format screens like IMAX and Dolby were the most popular way for moviegoers to see the latest movie over the holiday weekend, the company said.
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC. NBCUniversal owns Dreamworks Animation, the studio behind “The Croods: A New Age” and Rotten Tomatoes.
Correction: Warner Bros. parent AT&T said on Sunday that nearly half of its HBO Max subscribers had watched “Wonder Woman 1984” on Christmas Day.