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"Wonder Woman 1984" opened to a less than
heroic $18.8 million in China over the weekend and a
disappointing $38.5 million overseas. That's far less than the
$38 million that the first "Wonder Woman" grossed in its opening
weekend in China and likely means that the follow-up will earn
far less than the $90.5 million that its predecessor pulled in
from the country over the course of its run.
China is one of the few theatrical markets
where moviegoing had shown signs of life during a public health
catastrophe, but revenues around the country were still down
30%. "Wonder Woman 1984" wasn't the only
blockbuster hopeful that sputtered. "The
Rescue," a Chinese action movie, made just under $36 million in
its initial weekend. That's far below projections and could mean
the film will lose money.
"Wonder Woman 1984" was intended to be one of the holiday
season's biggest releases, but with coronavirus cases rising,
Warner Bros. has opted to debut the film in the U.S. on HBO Max
when it opens in cinemas on Dec. 25.
It's getting a more robust rollout overseas. The film opened
this weekend in 32 foreign markets. "Wonder Woman 1984" pulled
in $3.6 million in Taiwan, $2 million in Thailand, $1.7 million
in Brazil, and $1.6 million in Mexico and Japan.
"Wonder Woman 1984" brings back Gal Gadot as the Amazonian
warrior princess with Patty Jenkins returning as director. The
film follows Wonder Woman in the Reagan era as she does battle
with Cheetah (Kristen Wiig) and Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal), a
businessman and Trump doppelganger.
The hope is that "Wonder Woman 1984" will create some buzz
around HBO Max when it debuts on the streaming service. Both HBO
Max and Warner Bros are owned by AT&T, which is trying to break
into the lucrative streaming market and hold off a challenge
from Netflix. Warner Bros. recently announced that in light of
the pandemic it would be release its entire 2021 film slate,
which includes tentpole favorites like "Dune" and "The Matrix
4," on HBO Max at the same time they open in theaters.
With 66% of movie theaters in the United States closed, new
films are struggling to sell tickets.
In North America, Sony's "Monster Hunter" debuted in first place
with $2.2 million. The video game adaptation starring Milla
Jovovich and Ron Perlman cost $60 million to produce and looks
to lose money in its theatrical run.
Universal's animated adventure "The Croods: A New Age" followed
closely behind with $2 million in ticket sales during its fourth
weekend of release. The movie has made $27 million in the U.S.
and $84.5 million to date. In this marketplace, that practically
makes it a blockbuster.
Another new release, Lionsgate's thriller "Fatale" with Hilary
Swank launched with a dismal $925,000 from 1,107 locations.
It's unlikely that any U.S. cinemas will reopen in the coming
weeks as coronavirus cases continue to surge, but the few that
remain in business are looking to "Wonder Woman 1984" and fellow
newcomers "Promising Young Woman" and "News of the World" as
salvation. But the Justice League member's biggest competition
may come from the small screen, where the Pixar film "Soul" is
debuting the same day on Disney Plus.
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