Can Joaquin Phoenix's Napoleon reign supreme against Disney's Wish and Hunger Games? Closer look at box office of the Ridley Scott film
Joaquin Phoenix and Ridley Scott’s opens big on Thanksgiving weekend against Disney’s Wish and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Here’s how Scott’s film made an impact:
Whenever a film about a significant historical figure is published, there is always a dispute over how historically accurate it is, and the newly arrived Napoleon is no exception. The newest name to be added to this list is Joaquin Phoenix, who will reconnect with Ridley Scott for the director's latest historical epic, Napoleon. Phoenix's performance, as well as Scott's take on the towering (in name only) figure, is surprisingly hilarious, at times dull, and full of gory conflicts that don't hold back on the gore. It's a daring departure for the director, and despite being tonally inconsistent and a little sloppy, Napoleon can be rather entertaining.
Ridley Scott's historical epic, with a clear focus on Napoleon's (Joaquin Phoenix's) journey from a poor soldier to Emperor of France and his connection with Josephine (Vanessa Kirby), has been rattling cages in this arena since trailers began to drop. Here’s how it has been impacting the box office with the other big releases:
ALSO READ: How did Joaquin Phoenix get the role of Napoleon? Director Ridley Scott EXPLAINS
Will Joaquin Phoenix starrer Napoleon reign at the box office against Disney’s Wish and Hunger Games?
The unexpected winner of the Thanksgiving box office is Ridley Scott's new historical epic Napoleon, starring Joaquin Phoenix in the eponymous role. As per The Hollywood Reporter, the picture, which debuted in North America on Wednesday, is predicted to make between $36.5 million and $37.5 million over the five-day holiday period, putting it in an unexpectedly close competition with Disney Animation's Wish.
Napoleon, from Apple Original Films and Sony, is outperforming expectations despite a less-than-stellar B-CinemaScore from critics. According to PostTrak exits, males made up about 70% of Wednesday's attendance, while more than half of ticket buyers were over the age of 35, with 15% over the age of 55. The film grossed $7.7 million on the day, including $3 million in previews.
Napoleon is Apple Original Films' second major theatrical release, following Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, which is currently in theaters through Paramount. The two tentpoles, both of which are Oscar contenders, were wholly funded by Apple Original Films. On the other hand, Sony is Apple's global distribution and marketing partner. Napoleon was expecting a five-day holiday total of $22 million to $25 million as Thanksgiving approached.
Disney’s Wish and Hunger Games box office collections so far
Wish, an original story with no linked IP, was predicted to lead the Thanksgiving chart with a five-day feast of $45 million to $50 million, but those forecasts appear to have been overly optimistic. Disney has had a difficult year at the box office, topped by the recent flop The Marvels, and could have used an outright victory.
Wish, which grossed $8.3 million on Wednesday, has the potential to overcome a slow start if it continues to play throughout December and into the year-end holidays, helped by an A-CinemaScore and excellent PostTrak exits. Wish and Napoleon will compete against The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Trolls Band Together from Universal and DreamWorks Animation. Those two films were released last weekend in order to capitalize on Thanksgiving week, which can be one of the most profitable weeks for moviegoers.
With Wish underperforming, Lionsgate's Hunger Games prequel is now set to lead the five-day Thanksgiving chart (Wednesday–Sunday) with $40 million to $42 million, marking a victory for Lionsgate's ambition to start a new spinoff series.
Disclaimer: The box office figures are compiled from various sources and our own research. The figures can be approximate and Pinkvilla does not make any claims about the authenticity of the data. However, they are adequately indicative of the box-office performance of the film(s).