Even With Success of ‘Wonka,’ Holiday Box Office Isn’t as Jolly for Theaters This Year

While Warner Bros. deserves credit for deadlifting the 2023 holiday box office with three fresh films in theaters, the absence of a major December hit like “Avatar: The Way of Water” or “Spider-Man: No Way Home” is still taking its toll on what is supposed to be a major revenue period for theaters.

Combined, Warner Bros.’ “Wonka,” “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” and “The Color Purple” have contributed $185 million to overall domestic grosses over the past 12 days. The Timothée Chalamet-fronted musical “Wonka” is leading the group with $102 million grossed since its Dec. 15 release.

When breaking down early returns for the critical moviegoing period between Christmas and New Year’s Day, the numbers don’t shape up to years past.