‘Wonka’ Waltzes to $39 Million Opening, Propelled by Chalamet’s Starring Role 

Timothée Chalamet arrives at the premiere of "Wonka" on Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023, at Regency Village Theatre in Westwood, Calif. (AP)
Timothée Chalamet arrives at the premiere of "Wonka" on Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023, at Regency Village Theatre in Westwood, Calif. (AP)
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‘Wonka’ Waltzes to $39 Million Opening, Propelled by Chalamet’s Starring Role 

Timothée Chalamet arrives at the premiere of "Wonka" on Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023, at Regency Village Theatre in Westwood, Calif. (AP)
Timothée Chalamet arrives at the premiere of "Wonka" on Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023, at Regency Village Theatre in Westwood, Calif. (AP)

“Wonka” debuted with $39 million in box office sales in US and Canadian theaters over the weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. That made it a strong start for the Timothée Chalamet -starring Willy Wonka musical that underscored the young star’s draw.

Musicals have been tough sells in theaters in recent years, so much so that Warner Bros. downplayed the song and dance elements of “Wonka” in trailers. Instead, the studio emphasized Chalamet, the 27-year-old actor who, with “Wonka,” notched his second No. 1 movie following 2021’s “Dune.” The earlier film recorded a $41 million opening.

While “Dune” was a sprawling and star-studded sci-fi adventure, “Wonka” relies chiefly on Chalamet’s charisma.

“Wonka,” which cost about $125 million to produce and played at 4,203 locations, was also the first big Hollywood release to launch following the end of the SAG-AFTRA actors’ strike. Chalamet hosted “Saturday Night Live” just days after the strike ended. In his opening monologue, he sang to the tune of “Pure Imagination” about “returning to this magical world where actors can promote their projects.”

“It shows you the power of a star, and it also shows you the power of a star going out and working a movie,” said Jeffrey Goldstein, distribution chief for Warner Bros. “Having him out there after the strikes were over was a win for him and a win for the movie.”

Goldstein expects “Wonka” to be the go-to choice from families over the holidays. Its main competition for kids will be Universal Pictures’ animated “Migration.”

“Wonka,” directed by Paul King of “Paddington” and “Paddington 2,” is a prequel to 1971’s “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” with Chalamet starring as a young Wonka trying to open a candy store. Its ensemble cast includes Hugh Grant, Olivia Colman and Keegan-Michael Key.

Warner Bros. last revived Roald Dahl’s classic with the 2005 Tim Burton-directed “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” starring Johnny Depp. It debuted with $56.2 million and ultimately grossed $475 million worldwide.

To reach those numbers, “Wonka” will need strong legs through the lucrative holiday moviegoing period. On its side are mostly good reviews (84% “fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes) and positive audience reaction (an “A-” CinemaScore).

Chalamet is also drawing younger ticket-buyers. Moviegoers under the age of 25 accounted for 36% of the audience, which was split evenly between 51% females and 49% males. “Wonka” added $53.6 million in overseas ticket sales.

“Chalamet is a true movie star who’s been developing his craft and his reputation over many years,” says Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. “Everybody’s looking for who’s the next big movie star. Is it all about the old-school leading men? Chalamet is definitely that.”

For Warner Bros., it’s the first in a trio of high-profile holiday releases, to be followed by “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” on Dec. 22 and another musical, “The Color Purple” on Dec. 25.

The only other new wide release in theaters was “Christmas With the Chosen: Holy Night,” from Christian-theme distributor Angel Studios. It debuted with $2.9 million in sales through 2,094 theaters.

“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” again ranked second this week with $5.8 million in its fifth week of release. The Lionsgate “Hunger Games” prequel, now up to $145.2 million domestically and more than $300 million globally, has held strong week after week.

Last week’s top film, Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron,” dipped to third with $5.1 million in its second week of release. The latest film from the 82-year-old Japanese anime master has already set records for Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli and its North American distributor GKids.

With holdovers making up most of the top 10 movies in theaters, the weekend’s other most notable business was a group of award contenders trying to make their mark following Monday’s Golden Globes nominations.

Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things,” a surreal Frankenstein-esque fairy tale starring Emma Stone, expanded into 82 theaters and grossed $1.3 million for Searchlight Pictures. The film, which will expand further in the coming weeks, is nominated for seven Golden Globes, including best comedy or musical.

Cord Jefferson’s “American Fiction,” starring Jeffrey Wright as a sardonic novelist, debuted in seven theaters in three cities with a $32,411 per-screen average. MGM’s “American Fiction,” nominated for two Globes, will expand to 40 theaters next week. It won the audience award at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.

Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest,” a chilling Holocaust drama about a Nazi commandant and his family living next to Auschwitz, opened in four theaters with a $31,198 per-screen average. Nominated for three Globes, it will play in limited release before expanding in January.



Oasis Fans Converge as Mega-tour Kicks Off in UK

Oasis are performing together for the first time since 2009. MIKE CLARKE / AFP
Oasis are performing together for the first time since 2009. MIKE CLARKE / AFP
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Oasis Fans Converge as Mega-tour Kicks Off in UK

Oasis are performing together for the first time since 2009. MIKE CLARKE / AFP
Oasis are performing together for the first time since 2009. MIKE CLARKE / AFP

Tens of thousands of ecstatic Oasis fans descend Friday on Cardiff as the legendary Britpop band kicks off a highly anticipated reunion tour nearly 16 years after last performing together.

The concert at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital will be the first of a 41-date run of gigs spanning the world, including in the United States, Japan, Australia and Brazil, AFP said.

Once-warring brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, their bandmates and UK support acts will play in Cardiff on Friday and Saturday before five hometown gigs in Manchester starting on July 11.

Further sold-out British and Irish concerts will follow at London's Wembley Stadium, Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium and Dublin's Croke Park, before the international leg of their Oasis Live '25 tour.

"All that matters is how the people in that stadium feel," Liam Gallagher, 52, said on social media last week, as months of anticipation reach a climax.

Fans have been sharing their excitement at the first chance to see Oasis play live since 2009 -- or ever -- after it was long seen as a remote prospect following one of music's most acrimonious break-ups.

The band's 1990s gigs are the stuff of legend.

"The feeling is biblical!" fuel tanker driver Sean Campbell, 35, told AFP before attending Friday's gig.

"I've been waiting years for their return. I missed out on going years ago, so this is my first time seeing them live."

Ticket controversy

Oasis, famous for 1990s hits like "Live Forever" and "Wonderwall", announced its comeback tour last August, days before the 30th anniversary of their debut album, "Definitely Maybe".

The Manchester rockers split in 2009, with Noel saying he "simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer".

The Gallagher brothers had maintained a war of words about each other for more than a decade, performing individually over those years but never together.

The surprise announcement that they had finally put aside their feud to reunite sparked an online frenzy for tickets but outrage over sudden price hikes that saw Britain's competition watchdog threaten legal action.

Resale tickets costing thousands of pounds have surfaced, while fans have also been targeted by online scams.

Britain's Lloyds Bank estimated in April that victims had collectively lost more than £2 million ($2.7 million).

The tour is expected to be a boon for the struggling UK economy.

Fans could spend more than £1 billion combined on tickets and outgoings such as transportation and accommodation, Barclays bank estimated in May.

'Rough and ready'

Oasis will be supported in the UK by Richard Ashcroft, frontman of British rock band The Verve, as well as the Liverpool-formed band Cast.

The band has not released the setlist for their opening and other shows, with rampant speculation online over which classic tracks will feature and whether any new material will be performed.

There are also many rumors over the potential for special guests appearances.

Illuminated drones displayed Oasis's classic logo above the Cardiff stadium late Wednesday, in a one-night display adding to the buzz around the tour's kick-off.

Gates open Friday at 5:00 pm (1600 GMT), with the band due on stage just over three hours later after both support acts have played.

The performance will wrap up by 10:30 pm, organizers said.

The stadium, which has a capacity of 74,500 for concerts, is set to have its retractable roof closed for both nights, with an incredible atmosphere expected.

Oasis reportedly began jamming together months ago, before starting rehearsals in London more recently.

The band has reportedly welcomed several new members for the tour, including a keyboard player and drummer.

Writing in the tour program, Noel, 58, reflected on the band's enduring popularity, saying "a new generation recognizes how Oasis wasn't manufactured".

"It was chaotic, and flawed, and not technically brilliant. We were rough and ready guys from a rehearsal room, and people recognized it."