Despite high hopes and a star-studded cast led by Jason Momoa as the King of Atlantis, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom failed to make a splash at the Christmas box office.
The highly anticipated comic book sequel, directed by James Wan, opened slightly below expectations, earning $27.7 million over the traditional weekend and a disappointing $40 million throughout the four-day holiday frame.
With a hefty production budget of $205 million, Aquaman 2 joins the ranks of recent underperforming tentpoles from Warner Bros. and DC, including The Flash ($55 million debut), Shazam! Fury of the Gods ($30 million debut), and Blue Beetle ($25 million debut).
Despite managing to lead over a series of newcomers like Universal and Illumination’s animated family film Migration, the romantic comedy Anyone but You, and A24’s sports biopic The Iron Claw, Aquaman 2 faced tough competition during the holiday season.
Movie theater owners had been optimistic about the number of new releases, but the overall performance during the holiday season was lackluster, with no surprise hits or potential billion-dollar blockbusters on the horizon.
While December releases often gain momentum into the new year, Aquaman 2 entered theaters at a challenging time for superhero movies. The film received a lukewarm reception in China, once a massive market for superhero tentpoles, contributing to its international box office total of $80 million and a subdued global tally of $120 million.
Negative reviews and mediocre audience scores added to the challenges, with the film struggling with its position as the final installment before the reset of the DC Extended Universe by new bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran.
Taking second place at the box office was Warner Bros.’ fantasy musical Wonka, starring Timothée Chalamet as the eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka. The prequel story exceeded expectations with $18 million over the weekend and a total of $28 million through Monday. Wonka has grossed $85.5 million domestically and an impressive $254.9 million worldwide to date.
Migration, an animated family film about ducks getting lost as they head south for winter, flocked to the third spot with $12.4 million over the weekend and a modest $17.5 million through Monday. The film, with a reasonable budget of $70 million, is hoping to enjoy the staying power of recent family movies, supported by positive reviews and audience scores.
Sony’s R-rated romantic comedy Anyone but You debuted in fourth place, collecting $5.8 million from 3,055 theaters over the weekend and a softer-than-anticipated $8 million through Monday. Despite a bleak debut for a nationwide release, the film’s economical budget of $25 million may mitigate some of the disappointment.
The Iron Claw landed at No. 6 with $4.8 million from 2,774 venues and $7.5 million through Monday. The sports biopic, costing $15 million, tells the tragic true story of the Von Erich family, a dynasty of professional wrestlers plagued by a series of tragedies.
