Wonder Woman 1984 has finally begun to roll out in theaters across the globe, and its box office numbers aren't soaring as high as Warner Bros. had hoped. Despite being one of the most anticipated movies of the year, Wonder Woman 1984 has suffered a lengthy road to release. The DC sequel was once slated for 2019, but Warner Bros. bumped it to June 2020. Then, when the coronavirus pandemic made it impossible for studios to release movies in theaters, Wonder Woman 1984 found itself shuffling through multiple dates.
Even after Warner Bros. committed to Wonder Woman 1984's final release date of December 25, many believed the Gal Gadot-starring flick would be delayed for the umpteenth time. However, the studio soon threw Hollywood for a loop when it announced Wonder Woman 1984 would be released in theaters in December - and on HBO Max, on the same exact day. With the movie's US and HBO Max debuts coming in just a few days, Wonder Woman 1984 has already been released in select international markets, thus giving Warner Bros. the first indication of its box office prospects.
So far, the outlook isn't great. According to Variety, Wonder Woman 1984 earned a mere $38.5 million in 32 markets, with $18.8 million coming from China. For comparison's sake, the 2017 Wonder Woman raked in $38 million in China in its opening weekend, eventually earning a grand total of $90.5 million. However, with this softer opening, it doesn't look like Wonder Woman 1984 will earn as much.
It's noted that, while China's box office had shown signs in recent months of getting back to normal, many have noticed a growing cautiousness among moviegoers. To get a better idea of how Hollywood blockbusters have performed in China recently, Christopher Nolan's Tenet opened to $29.6 million in September, and Mulan disappointed with a $23 opening soon after, which is still more than Wonder Woman 1984. With public spaces like movie theaters still posing a health risk, it sadly isn't too surprising that these movies would underperform.
Still, there's no doubt that Warner Bros. has been hoping Wonder Woman 1984 would provide a beacon of light during this difficult year. Had the circumstances been different, Wonder Woman 1984 surely would have scored a far bigger international opening; it's sad to see a movie that could've soared stumble instead. With the dual HBO Max release as well, it's likely Wonder Woman 1984 will see its domestic grosses dip below what was initially expected. It's hard to say right now, as the holiday weekend is still days away. Hopefully, though, Wonder Woman 1984 will find success even if it struggles to make a big splash at the box office.
Source: Variety
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