Calay News
Warner Bros.’s musical “Wonka” delighted North American audiences over the weekend, following a robust international debut. The film grossed approximately $39 million in the United States and Canada between Friday and Sunday, adding to the $112 million earned overseas in its first week.
The movie, a prequel featuring Timothée Chalamet as a younger Willy Wonka, the iconic chocolatier, received praise for its stellar box office performance. Analyst David A. Gross termed the figures “excellent.”
The star-studded cast includes Olivia Colman, Keegan-Michael Key, Sally Hawkins, and Hugh Grant in his debut as an Oompa-Loompa.
Lionsgate’s “The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” another prequel, secured the second spot over the weekend, earning $5.8 million in its fifth week. Starring Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, and Peter Dinklage, the film explores the tenth Hunger Games in the dystopian state of Panem.
In third place was Studio Ghibli’s animated fantasy “The Boy and the Heron,” collecting $5.2 million. The Japanese film, directed by Hayao Miyazaki, tells the story of 11-year-old Mahito, who communicates with a talking heron during World War II.
The Japanese action and sci-fi film “Godzilla Minus One,” directed by Takashi Yamazaki, claimed the fourth spot with $4.9 million. “Trolls Band Together” from Universal and DreamWorks secured the fifth position with $4 million in its fifth week.
Next week promises significant releases for North American cinemas, including “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” and the musical adaptation of “The Color Purple,” premiering on Christmas Day.
