'Napoleon' Tries to Conquer the Holiday Box Office
by EG
The epic film Napoleon, a pseudo-historical dramatization of the French leader's career from director Ridley Scott, is shooting for box-office success over the Thanksgiving weekend, but it stands about as much chance at topping the box-office charts as the real Napoleon did in his quest for world domination. The week's winner will likely be The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, last week's winner. Napoleon is likely destined to be the second big-budget disappointment in a row for Apple studios following last month's Killers of the Flower Moon. Read on for details.
The infamous French emperor and military commander Napoleon Bonaparte would be proud.
Ridley Scott’s new historical epic Napoloen, starring Joaquin Phoenix in the titular role, is turning into the surprise victor of the Thanksgiving box office. The film, which opened Wednesday across North America, is on course to earn as much as $36.5 million to $37.5 million for the five-day holiday corridor, putting it in an unexpectedly close race with Disney Animation’s Wish.
From Apple Original Films and Sony, Napoleon is coming in well ahead of expectations despite receiving a not-so-victorious B- CinemaScore from moviegoers. Males made up nearly 70 percent of Wednesday’s audience, while more than half of ticket buyers were over the age of 35, including 15 percent over the age of 55, according to PostTrak exits. The movie earned $7.7 million for the day, including $3 million in previews.
Napoloen is the second big theatrical swing from Apple Original Films after Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, which is currently in theaters via Paramount. Apple Original Films fully financed the two tentpoles, which both have Oscar ambitions. Sony is Apple’s global distribution and marketing partner on Napoleon.
Heading into the Thanksgiving frame, Napoleon was looking at a five-day holiday cume of $22 million to $25 million.
Tracking had Wish, an original story with no affiliated IP, topping the Thanksgiving chart with a five-day feast of $45 million to $50 million, but those predictions appear to have been too bullish. Disney has suffered a rocky year at the box office, capped by recent bust The Marvels, and could have used an unqualified win.
Wish, which earned $8.3 million on Wednesday, could overcome a soft opening if it plays throughout December and into the year-end holidays, buoyed by an A- CinemaScore and strong PostTrak exits.
Both Wish and Napoloen are going up against The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls Band Together. Those two films opened last weekend in order to get a jump on Thanksgiving week, which can be one of the most lucrative stretches of the year for moviegoing.
Get the rest of the story at The Hollywood Reporter.