Timothée's ‘Wonka’ hits $39m on opening weekend

Timothée Chalamet's latest venture, "Wonka", has made a dazzling USD 39 million debut in US and Canadian theatres during its opening weekend, per studio estimates reported on Sunday. The film, directed by Paul King of "Paddington" fame, marks Chalamet's second leading role to capture the number one spot at the box office, following his success with 2021's "Dune".

Despite the cautious stance towards musicals in recent years, Warner Bros highlighted Chalamet's star power rather than the musical aspects in the promotional material for "Wonka". The movie, a prequel to 1971's "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", places Chalamet in the role of a young Wonka aspiring to launch a candy store, supported by a cast including Hugh Grant, Olivia Colman, and Keegan-Michael Key.

The release of "Wonka" also marked Hollywood's first major launch post the SAG-AFTRA actors' strike. Chalamet, who hosted "Saturday Night Live" shortly after the strike ended, used the platform to celebrate the end of the strike and promote the film.

Warner Bros anticipates "Wonka" to be a holiday season favourite for families, potentially contending against Universal Pictures' animated film "Migration". The movie, well-received with an 84% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an "A-" CinemaScore, is aimed at capitalising on the festive moviegoing period.

Chalamet's widespread appeal has drawn a youthful audience, with moviegoers under 25 constituting 36% of the film's audience. Overseas, "Wonka" grossed an additional USD 53.6 million in ticket sales.

For Warner Bros, "Wonka" kicks off a series of high-profile releases for the holiday season, to be followed by "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" on December 22 and the musical adaptation of "The Color Purple" on December 25.

Meanwhile, other films in theatres, such as "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" and Hayao Miyazaki's "The Boy and the Heron", continued to secure strong positions at the box office. Additionally, several award contenders, including Yorgos Lanthimos' "Poor Things" and Cord Jefferson's "American Fiction", made notable showings as they expanded into theatres.