Wonder Woman 1984 has best COVID-era box office debut; part 3 to be fast-tracked

NEW YORK (AP) — Despite premiering simultaneously by streaming service, “Wonder Woman 1984” managed the best box office debut of the pandemic, opening with $16.7 million over the Christmas weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.

That’s only a faint glimmer of typical business during the holiday season, when cinemas are usually packed and box office receipts are among the best of the year. Last year, “Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker” exceeded $32 million on Christmas Day alone. According to data firm Comscore, 35 percent of all North American theaters are currently open.

But Warner Bros. could still celebrate the performance of “Wonder Woman 1984,” which landed in 2,150 theaters the same time it did on HBO Max. The film grossed an additional $19.4 million in international markets where it began playing a week earlier. The Patty Jenkins-directed sequel, starring Gal Gadot, has made $85 million globally to date.

“This is a very weak theatrical opening,” said David Gross, who runs the movie consultancy FranchiseRe. “With more than half of North American theaters closed and the pandemic surging, the majority of moviegoers and fans have little choice but to watch the film on television. Early foreign openings have been weak as well.”

Gal Gadot in ‘Wonder Woman 84.’ (Courtesy, Warner Bros. Films)

Warner Bros. has come under criticism throughout Hollywood for its plans to divert “Wonder Woman 1984,” and all of its 2021 titles, to HBO Max, along with a theatrical run, in a bid to boost subscribers. Earlier this month, AT&T chief executive John Stankey said the service has 12.6 million “activated users,” up from 8.6 million on September 30.

Reports circulated over the weekend of some users having technical difficulties streaming “Wonder Woman 1984,” particularly when playing the film through Roku. After months of negotiations, HBO Max went live on Roku in mid-December.

Warner Bros. nevertheless seized on the returns for “Wonder Woman 1984” as the best as could be expected, given the circumstances. The studio on Sunday announced that it would fast-track a third “Wonder Woman” film, with Jenkins and Gadot returning.

“’Wonder Woman 1984′ broke records and exceeded our expectations across all of our key viewing and subscriber metrics in its first 24 hours on the service, and the interest and momentum we’re seeing indicates this will likely continue well beyond the weekend,” said Andy Forssell, executive vice president and general manager for WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer operations. “During these very difficult times, it was nice to give families the option of enjoying this uplifting film at home, where theater viewing wasn’t an option.”

This image released by Warner Bros. Entertainment shows Gal Gadot in a scene from “Wonder Woman 1984.” (Warner Bros. via AP)

“Wonder Woman 1984” was not the only big movie that detoured into homes over Christmas. The Walt Disney Co. steered the latest Pixar release, “Soul,” to Disney+. It opened theatrically in some international markets, most notably in China, where it earned $5.5 million.

Streaming numbers were not provided for either “Soul” or “Wonder Woman 1984.” WarnerMedia said nearly half of HBO Max’s subscribers watched “Wonder Woman 1984” on its first day on the streaming platform.

Universal Pictures released “News of the World,” a Western starring Tom Hanks and directed by Paul Greengrass, only in theaters. The Comcast-owned studio has pursued a different approach during the pandemic, cutting deals with exhibitors to radically shorten the exclusive theatrical window to as little as 17 days, before then passing movies on to premium video-on-demand. “News of the World” grossed an estimated $2.4 million domestically

Emerald Fennell’s acclaimed “Promising Young Woman,” starring Carey Mulligan, debuted in 1,300 theaters, making $680,000 for Focus Features.