NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 鈥淏lack Panther: Wakanda Forever鈥 kept the box-office crown for the fourth straight weekend, and the comic holiday thriller 鈥淰iolent Night鈥 debuted with $13.3 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. But the biggest talking point on the weekend was a movie conspicuously absent from theaters.
Had Netflix kept sequel in theaters, it would have been one of the weekend's top draws. Last weekend, the streamer 鈥 in 鈥 While significantly less than the 4,000-plus theaters most big movies open in, the Netflix film reportedly grossed about $15 million 鈥 an enviable total for a medium scaled release.
Netflix declined to release ticket sales and pulled 鈥淕lass Onion鈥 on Tuesday, preferring to keep its release limited to a one-week sneak-peak theatrical run before debuting on the streaming service Dec. 23. Netflix's focus, its executives have said, is driving subscribers to its streaming service. , Reed Hastings, chief executive of Netflix, acknowledged the company left 鈥渓ots鈥 of money on the table in the move.
So instead of feasting on 鈥淕lass Onion," as ticket buyers did after Thanksgiving in 2019 when Lionsgate released 鈥淜nives Out,鈥 moviegoers were fed mostly leftovers this weekend.
For four weeks, the Walt Disney Co.'s 鈥淲akanda Forever鈥 has ruled the box office. Ryan Coogler's Marvel movie has totaled $733 million globally, including $339 million in overseas sales.
鈥淰iolent Night鈥 was the only new wide release in cinemas. Starring David Harbour as a not-so-saintly Saint Nick, the Universal release got off to a good start. 鈥淰iolent Night,鈥 which earned a B+ CinemaScore from audiences, cost about $20 million to make.
Though 鈥淎vatar: The Way of Water鈥 and other holiday releases like 鈥淧uss in Boots 2,鈥 鈥淏abylon" and 鈥淚 Wanna Dance With Somebody鈥 loom in the coming weeks, theaters continue to see fewer films in wide release than they did pre-pandemic. David A. Gross, who publishes the box-office subscription newsletter FranchiseRe, says that while there were 58 franchise films released in 2019, there have been only 32 in 2022.
There's also been a dearth of family releases in theaters. After a muted debut last weekend, Disney's big-budget animated fantasy adventure dipped to third place with a mere $4.9 million in its second week. Some of the season's notable kid-friendly movies are streaming, instead.
The Roald Dahl adaptation starring Emma Thompson, was made jointly by Netflix, Sony Pictures and Working Title Films. Netflix has worldwide distribution rights to the film except for the United Kingdom and Ireland, where Sony put the film into theaters last weekend. For two weeks, 鈥淢atilda" has been the top film at the U.K. box office, grossing $9.7 million over that stretch. In the U.S., 鈥淢atilda鈥 begins steaming on Christmas.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "Wakanda Forever," $17.6 million.
2. 鈥淰iolent Night,鈥 $13.3 million.
3. 鈥淪trange World,鈥 $4.9 million.
4. 鈥淭he Menu,鈥 $3.6 million.
5. 鈥淒evotion,鈥 $2.8 million.
6. 鈥淚 Heard the Bells,鈥 $1.8 million.
7. 鈥淏lack Adam,鈥 $1.7 million.
8. 鈥淭he Fabelmans,鈥 $1.3 million.
9. 鈥淏ones and All,鈥 $1.2 million.
10. 鈥淭icket to Paradise,鈥 $850,000.
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