Worldwide box office February 2-4
| Rank | Film (distributor) | 3-day (world) | Cume (world) | 3-day (int’l) | Cume (int’l) | Territories |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Argylle (Universal) | $35.3m | $35.3m | $17.4m | $17.4m | 79 |
| 2. | Anyone But You (Sony) | $17m | $151.7m | $13.5m | $75.5m | 50 |
| 3. | Wonka (Warner Bros) | $15.1m | $571.7m | $10.4m | $370.6m | 78 |
| 4. | Migration (Universal) | $12.5m | $221.8m | $8.4m | $115.7m | 78 |
| 5. | The Beekeeper (various) | $11.4m | $122.5m | $6.2m | $73.1m | 62 |
| 6. | Poor Things (Disney) | $10.6m | $68.2m | $8.5m | $40.1m | 38 |
| 7. | Johnny Keep Walking! (Various) | $8.1m | $170.9m | $8m | $170.9m | 8 |
| 8. | Mean Girls (Paramount) | $6.4m | $92.6m | $2.4m | $26.3m | 33 |
| 9. | Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (Warner Bros) | $6.3m | $423.4m | $4.3m | $302.7m | 79 |
| 10. | The Chosen: Season 4 Episodes 1-3 (n/a) | $6m | $7.4m | n/a | n/a | 1 |
Credit: Comscore. All figures are estimates.
Argylle tops worldwide chart – but below expectations
Commentators have been quick to disparage the opening box office outcome for Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle – released by Universal on behalf of Apple Original Films and Marv Studios. This, despite the film topping the domestic and international weekend box office, and thus globally.
With a production cost pegged north of $200m, the estimated $35.3m worldwide opening is considered less than it needs to be. The box office number is made up of $18.0m for North America and $17.3m for 78 international markets.
For international, Vaughn’s home country UK/Ireland leads with an estimated $2.6m, ahead of Australia ($1.6m), France ($1.5m), Mexico and Germany (both $1.3m). The film topped the box office in three of those markets – Australia, France and Mexico – and landed in second place in UK/Ireland.
Argylle is rated PG-13 in the US and 12A in UK, and is targeting a four-quadrant audience with potential broader reach than the violent, profane franchises – Kick-Ass, Kingsman – for which Vaughn is best known.
And despite what is considered a weak start, Argylle should surpass the lifetime box office of both Kick-Ass films: $96.8m for the first in 2010, and $63.1m for the 2013 sequel (which Vaughn produced but didn’t direct).
Kingsman: The Secret Service grossed $415.2m in 2014; sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle reached a very similar $410.9m in 2017; and prequel The King’s Man managed $125.9m in pandemic-era 2021.
Argylle has taken rather a beating from the critics, which wouldn’t necessarily be much of a hazard for the film. More troubling is the C+ CinemaScore ranking.
‘Migration’ rises up worldwide chart
Universal’s Migration has risen from eighth place in last week’s worldwide box office chart to fourth place – boosted by an opening in a key international market.
The Illumination animation grossed an estimated $4.5m in UK/Ireland, topping the country’s box office chart, ahead of new release Argylle. Globally the film grossed an estimated $12.6m for the weekend. Total to date is $115.7m for international, $106.2m in North America, and $221.9m worldwide.
Migration began its rollout in early December, and has been hitting markets in a staggered pattern, taking advantage of local holidays. In UK/Ireland, the February half-term school holiday has long been recognised as a rich opportunity for a family film, when child-friendly titles can play strong each weekday and not just at weekends.
In cumulative totals, Germany (now in Migration’s seventh week of release) leads internationally with $17.0m, ahead of France ($10.9m after nine weeks) and Australia ($10.1m, after six weeks). Next key market is Japan, which releases March 15.
Migration is a piece of original IP, and can be measured against Illumination’s first Despicable Me film ($543.3m worldwide in 2010) and the first Sing film ($634.3m in 2016).
Universal may prefer to measure against recent Disney animations such as Encanto ($256.8m) and Wish($240.3m so far).
‘Anyone But You’ holds in second place
Sony’s Anyone But You holds steady in second place in Comscore’s worldwide box office chart, with an estimated $17.0m for the weekend period.
The romantic comedy has now reached $75.5m for international, $76.3m in North America, and $151.8m globally.
The film is bearing down on the $168.8m achieved by Universal romantic comedy Ticket To Paradise in 2022 – and looks certain to overtake it.
If Netflix chooses to give a meaningful theatrical release to Richard Linklater’s Hit Man – co-written by and starring Anyone But You’s Glen Powell, and acquired by the streamer at Toronto International Film Festival last September – there should be no shortage of cinemas wishing to play it. Netflix has set a June release date for that one. Anyone But You’s Sydney Sweeney is next in Sony’s Madame Web, which lands in North America and other markets on Valentine’s Day (February 14).
Korea opening boosts ‘Wonka’
UPDATE: Warner Bros’ Wonka rises from fourth to third in the global box office chart, despite now being into its ninth week of release. The Willy Wonka tale opened in South Korea, grossing an estimated $5.7m – the biggest opening ever in the territory for star Timothée Chalamet (outperforming Dune) and director Paul King (beating Paddington), and also the biggest debut of any title so far this year there.
Weekend box office for Wonka globally was an estimated $15.2m, taking the worldwide total to a confirmed $572.5m – a record for any film featuring the chocolatier character, and for a Roald Dahl property.
Also for Warner Bros, Eine Million Minuten provided a local hit for the studio in Germany, opening in second place with a confirmed $2.1m, ahead of fellow new release Argylle. The drama is the feature directing debut of producer Christopher Doll (Text For You), and tells the story of a family dealing with a motor neuron disorder diagnosis.
No comments yet