Wonder Woman 1984 Box Office Opening May Be Half of Tenet
The low end of Wonder Woman 1984 domestic box office projections point to an opening weekend that may be half of what Tenet made. After being delayed multiple times due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Wonder Woman 1984 is finally gearing up for release in the U.S. Following its international debut last week, the highly-anticipated DC Extended Universe sequel hits American theaters and HBO Max on Christmas Day. Early Wonder Woman 1984 reviews have been positive, adding to the excitement surrounding its premiere.
There was a point in time when Wonder Woman 1984 would have challenged box office records, but its commercial prospects are in a very different place now. Several movie theaters are closed because of the pandemic, and even in areas where they're open, attendance remains low since new cases continue to surge. Multiplexes are still largely unsafe, which is why Warner Bros. decided to put Wonder Woman 1984 on streaming. As a result, the film's box office projections are a fraction of what they'd be had it come out under normal circumstances.
According to Box Office, Wonder Woman 1984 is projected to earn between $10-15 million domestically in its opening weekend. The low end of those figures are half of what WB's Tenet brought in when it opened in September ($20.2 million). This holiday's other new releases are expected to have similarly muted debuts, with News of the World pegged at $3.7 million and Promising Young Woman estimated at $1.7 million.
That Wonder Woman 1984 is projected to make less than Tenet isn't much of a surprise. It's releasing in fewer theaters than Tenet, playing in only 40% of U.S. theaters. The fact Wonder Woman 1984 is also streaming on HBO Max simultaneously undoubtedly affected its box office estimates, as many people will likely opt to watch it from the comfort of home. Of course, that aspect of Wonder Woman 1984's release will help make up for box office losses, as HBO Max sees a wave of newcomers. The streaming service added 4 million new subscribers this month, shortly after announcing WB's entire 2021 film slate will release on HBO Max the same day as theaters. Tenet, of course, was a theatrical exclusive when first released and didn't get an HBO Max boost. WB may still take a loss on Wonder Woman 1984, budgeted at $200 million, but they at least have the benefit of the streaming subscriptions for this tentpole.
Domestically, Wonder Woman 1984 isn't going to make much of an impact at the box office. It will be on HBO Max for a month, giving interested viewers plenty of time to watch it. What's more concerning for WB is arguably the international box office, where Wonder Woman 1984 did worse than expected last week. It grossed only $38.5 million across 32 markets, which isn't a great haul even amidst the pandemic. Tenet found moderate success overseas, as $304.3 million of its $362.1 million global total came from the international box office. WB will be hoping Wonder Woman 1984 can follow suit and gain some traction, though with moviegoers cautious about going to the theater, there aren't any guarantees.
Source: Box Office