Theaters have seen better days in the United States. One of the most productive holidays for theaters, Thanksgiving Day, is no longer as profitable as it once was, as the box office results from this year clearly show.
Walt Disney Studios, which released "Wish" on Nov. 22, took a big hit. The film paid tribute to the company's 100th anniversary. According to Variety, the movie was projected to earn around $35 million over the traditional weekend and between $45-50 million dollars during the five days of the holiday weekend.
The reality, however, was devastating for the company. Box Office Mojo revealed that during the weekend, the film managed to bring in just $19.5 million over the weekend and only $31.7 million during the five days of the Thanksgiving holiday. It was only the third most popular film during that span, trailing Ridley Scott's "Napoleon" and "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," a prequel to the "Hunger Games" saga.
The results were not any better in the international market. "Wish" was released in 27 other countries (40% of the countries in which Disney intends to release its new feature film) and only managed to earn an additional $17.3 million, bringing in a total of $49 million, underwhelming for a film that cost roughly $200 million.
'Napoleon' also not a hit
Another of the most anticipated films was "Napoleon," Ridley Scott's new feature film. Its premiere also grossed less than expected, although a little more than "Wish." The movie managed to earn $21 million over the weekend, and $32.5 million including the long holiday weekend.
Internationally, Box Office Mojo reports, this feature film was more successful than "Wish," with Colombia Pictures managing to pocket an additional $46.3 million. Ridley Scott's controversial film has managed, for the moment, to gross $78.8 million.
However, both fall far behind "Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes." Released on Nov. 17, the prequel to "The Hunger Games" continues to reign supreme at the box office, grossing $98.4 million domestically and $56.2 million in the international market. With these figures, the film based on the novel by Suzenne Collins stands at $154.6 million globally. Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Vice President Adam Fogelson says the movie's success "has opened an endless series of possibilities that Suzanne can go, and that [Lionsgate] can go with her."
Despite poor overall results at the box office, experts do not seem worried. They foresee a satisfactory end to the year for movie theaters throughout the nation. This was stated by Comscore senior analyst Paul Dergarabedian: "Despite the overall Thanksgiving frame coming in lower than in the pre-2020 era, this week’s results are encouraging for theaters heading into the end of the year."
