Move over turkey, Hollywood has its own Thanksgiving surprise brewing!
In a cinematic twist, Ridley Scott’s latest historical masterpiece, ‘Napoleon’, is turning heads at the box office, giving Disney’s ‘Wish’ a run for its money. Starring the exceptional Joaquin Phoenix, this unexpected battle is shaping up to be the talk of the holiday season.
The notorious French emperor would undoubtedly raise an approving eyebrow as ‘Napoleon’ makes a historic mark at the Thanksgiving box office. Despite a less-than-victorious B- CinemaScore, the film is set to rake in an impressive $36.5 million to $37.5 million over the five-day holiday stretch. The surprise factor? It’s in a neck-and-neck race with Disney Animation’s ‘Wish’.
Crafted by Apple Original Films and Sony, ‘Napoleon’ is defying predictions, captivating an audience largely dominated by males (almost 70% on opening day). Surprisingly, over half the ticket buyers are aged 35 and above, with 15% proudly representing the 55-and-over crowd. The film pocketed $7.7 million on its opening day, including $3 million from previews.
This unexpected success follows Apple Original Films’ ambitious move with Martin Scorsese’s ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’. With Oscar ambitions in their sights, Apple is proving to be a heavyweight player in the film industry. Sony, Apple’s global distribution and marketing partner for ‘Napoleon’, is riding this unexpected wave of success.
Initially pegged at $22 million to $25 million for the holiday frame, ‘Napoleon’ is now eyeing a much more substantial share of the Thanksgiving feast.
On the other side of the cinematic battlefield, Disney’s ‘Wish’ aimed high with predictions ranging from $45 million to $50 million. However, with ‘Napoleon’ stealing the spotlight, the animated feature faces stiff competition. Despite an $8.3 million opening on Wednesday, it seems ‘Wish’ might need more than a genie’s magic to dominate.
Both ‘Wish’ and ‘Napoleon’ are contending with heavyweights like ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’ and ‘Trolls Band Together’. The Thanksgiving cinematic showdown is proving to be one for the books, with Lionsgate’s ‘Hunger Games’ prequel expected to lead the chart with $40 million to $42 million. It’s a victory dance for Lionsgate as they aim to launch a new spinoff franchise.
Meanwhile, ‘Trolls Band Together’ is gearing up for a respectable fourth-place finish, eyeing an estimated five-day gross of $27 million.
In this unexpected clash of cinematic titans, one thing’s for sure: Thanksgiving at the box office just got a lot more interesting.