Warner Bros. has not yet reported official box office results for Wonder Woman 1984, though opening weekend sales have the film on track to becoming the best US opening since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Wonder Woman 1984 opened in 2,150 theaters nation-wide and is on its way to having the best 3-day sales of the pandemic, possibly grossing in the low-teens according to a report by Deadline. This would surpass the 3-day of Tenet, which made $9.3M, and Croods 2, which made $9.7M. What would be considered disastrous by normal market standards is now possibly record-breaking.
All of this comes despite the film's Rotten Tomatoes score, which plummeted from 90% upon early critic reviews to 67% on its Christmas Day release, effectively losing its Certified Fresh rating.
It was the lackluster box office performance of Christopher Nolan’s Tenet that caused Warner Bros. to send Wonder Woman 1984 to a simultaneous release in theaters and on HBO Max. The studio anticipated losing millions of dollars in ticket sales as a result but ultimately determined a simultaneous release was the best path forward.
Theaters continue to struggle as Congress recently voted on a new COVID-19 relief bill, which will aim to provide grant assistance to theaters and live venues, though the bill notably excludes large theater chains, disqualifying venues that employ over 500 employees and operate in more than 10 U.S. states.
Directed and co-written by Patty Jenkins, Wonder Woman 1984 stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal and Natasha Rothwell. The film is now available in theaters and on HBO Max.
Source: Deadline