In its second weekend, “Wonka,” featuring Timothee Chalamet, exhibited a robust performance at the UK-Ireland box office, experiencing a mere 28.5% decline and raking in an additional £6.4 million. The chocolatier prequel, directed by Paul King, has now accumulated £18.5 million in just two sessions for Warner Bros. It currently stands just outside the top 10 highest-grossing releases of 2023, with the potential to climb to fourth place by the end of its run, currently held by “Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3” with £36.7 million. There’s even speculation that a strong showing over the Christmas period could propel “Wonka” to surpass the £37.8 million earned by 2005’s “Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.”
“Godzilla Minus One” Stomps into Second Place with £785,532 Opening Weekend
This weekend saw Takashi Yamazaki’s Japanese action film, “Godzilla Minus One,” make an impressive entrance, securing second place at the box office. The movie earned £785,532 from 469 cinemas, boasting a £1,675 location average. Including previews, the film’s total stands at £816,891 for All The Anime, and it is aiming to surpass the £2.7 million earned by 2021’s “Godzilla Vs Kong.”
Other Box Office Highlights
- The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes continues to perform well for Lionsgate, adding £612,529 in its fifth session. Despite a 36.2% drop, the film has reached a total of £15.9 million, showcasing a strong result for a post-pandemic prequel title.
- Disney’s Wish, last weekend’s number two, experienced a 48% drop in its fourth weekend, adding £587,429 to reach a total of £6.6 million.
- Sony’s Napoleon dropped 47.5% in its fourth session, bringing in £499,028 and reaching a total of £12.5 million. While not surpassing the heights of Ridley Scott’s previous films like Gladiator (£31.3 million) or Prometheus (£25 million), it has exceeded the £10 million mark set by the director’s 2021 feature, House Of Gucci.
Overall, the combined takings for the top five films dropped 28.2% to £8.8 million, falling below the £10 million mark but still surpassing the rolling average across the last three months. Anticipation is building for the Christmas break, with expectations of decent holds next weekend and the arrival of Warner Bros blockbuster Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom.