Gal Gadot plays Wonder Woman in “Wonder Woman 1984”.
Warner Bros.
“Wonder Woman 1984” shot in theaters on Christmas Day and reached the highest box office opening of any nationally released film since the coronavirus pandemic paralyzed the entertainment industry in mid-March. .
On Sunday, Warner Bros. revealed that the film totaled $ 16.7 million in the United States and Canada. “Wonder Woman 1984” was one of the first major Hollywood box office hits to hit theaters and streaming the same day.
The simultaneous release was intended to accommodate a limited number of open movie theaters, limited seating and a general audience that is still afraid to return to cinemas.
AT&T, the parent of Warner Bros., said Sunday that nearly half of its HBO Max retail subscribers watched “Wonder Woman 1984” on Christmas Day. Retail subscribers are those who purchase the broadcast service directly, not through a cable subscription or other broadcast subscription.
In October, HBO Max had about 3.6 million direct retail customers. It is unclear how many additional subscribers the company acquired prior to the release of “Wonder Woman 1984” on the platform.
“Wonder Woman 1984 broke records and exceeded our expectations on all key display and subscription metrics in the first 24 hours of service, and the interest and momentum we’re seeing indicates that this will likely continue well beyond the weekend, ”said Andy Forssell, executive vice president and general manager of WarnerMedia’s direct consumer division. “In these very difficult times, it was good to give families the option to enjoy this building film at home, where you couldn’t see theater.”
The theatrical success of the film has led the studio to accelerate a third installment of the Wonder Woman franchise, the company said. It will be written and directed by Patty Jenkins, who directed the previous two films and, last week, made it clear to the New York Times that she would not return to the franchise if there was no theatrical model that was possible for the film. · Film.
By the weekend, analysts weren’t sure if the film could surpass the nearly $ 10 million that “The Croods: A New Age” earned during the inaugural weekend during Thanksgiving. There was concern that the HBO Max audience would significantly cannibalize ticket sales.
Still, even with a strong box office, there is concern on the part of fans and critics about Warner Bros. ‘DC Extended Universe.
A week before debuting in the U.S., “Wonder Woman 1984” earned an 88% “Fresh” rating on the 92-comment Rotten Tomatoes review site. As of Sunday afternoon, this score has dropped to 65% from 285 comments.
While the film’s star, Gal Gadot, was highly praised, the film itself was criticized for its weak history, plot inconsistencies, and poor quality.
In comparison, the first “Wonder Woman” film, released in 2017, scored 93%, the highest of all the films in the extended DC Universe. Private viewing parties and large-format screens like IMAX and Dolby were the most popular avenue for moviegoers to watch the latest film 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: AT&T, the parent of Warner Bros., said Sunday that nearly half of its HBO Max retail subscribers saw “Wonder Woman 1984” on Christmas Day.