NEW YORK — “Wonka” debuted with $39 million in field workplace gross sales in U.S. and Canadian theaters over the weekend, based on studio estimates Sunday. That made it a robust begin for the Timothée Chalamet-starring Willy Wonka musical that underscored the younger star’s draw.

Musicals have been powerful sells in theaters lately, a lot in order that Warner Bros. downplayed the track and dance parts of “Wonka” in trailers. As an alternative, the studio emphasised Chalamet, the 27-year-old actor who, with “Wonka,” notched his second No. 1 film following 2021’s “Dune.” The sooner movie recorded a $41 million opening.

Whereas “Dune” was a sprawling and star-studded sci-fi journey, “Wonka” depends mainly on Chalamet’s charisma.

“Wonka,” which value about $125 million to supply and performed at 4,203 places, was additionally the primary huge Hollywood launch to launch following the tip of the SAG-AFTRA actors’ strike. Chalamet hosted “Saturday Evening Reside” simply days after the strike ended. In his opening monologue, he sang to the tune of “Pure Creativeness” about “returning to this magical world the place actors can promote their tasks.”

“It exhibits you the facility of a star, and it additionally exhibits you the facility of a star going out and dealing a film,” stated Jeffrey Goldstein, distribution chief for Warner Bros. “Having him on the market after the strikes have been over was a win for him and a win for the film.”

Goldstein expects “Wonka” to be the go-to selection from households over the vacations. Its essential competitors for youths can be Common Photos’ animated “Migration.”

PHOTOS: ‘Wonka’ waltzes to $39 million opening, propelled by Chalamet’s starring function

“Wonka,” directed by Paul King of “Paddington” and “Paddington 2,” is a prequel to 1971’s “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Manufacturing unit,” with Chalamet starring as a younger Wonka attempting to open a sweet retailer. Its ensemble solid consists of Hugh Grant, Olivia Colman and Keegan-Michael Key.

Warner Bros. final revived Roald Dahl’s traditional with the 2005 Tim Burton-directed “Charlie and the Chocolate Manufacturing unit,” starring Johnny Depp. It debuted with $56.2 million and finally grossed $475 million worldwide.

To succeed in these numbers, “Wonka” will want robust legs by the profitable vacation moviegoing interval. On its facet are principally good opinions (84% “recent” on Rotten Tomatoes) and constructive viewers response (an “A-” CinemaScore).

Chalamet can also be drawing youthful ticket-buyers. Moviegoers underneath the age of 25 accounted for 36% of the viewers, which was break up evenly between 51% females and 49% males. “Wonka” added $53.6 million in abroad ticket gross sales.

“Chalamet is a real film star who’s been creating his craft and his repute over a few years,” says Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. “Everyone’s on the lookout for who’s the subsequent huge film star. Is all of it concerning the old-school main males? Chalamet is certainly that.”

For Warner Bros., it’s the primary in a trio of high-profile vacation releases, to be adopted by “Aquaman and the Misplaced Kingdom” on Dec. 22 and one other musical, “The Shade Purple” on Dec. 25.

The one different new huge launch in theaters was “Christmas With the Chosen: Holy Evening,” from Christian-theme distributor Angel Studios. It debuted with $2.9 million in gross sales by 2,094 theaters.

“The Starvation Video games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” once more ranked second this week with $5.8 million in its fifth week of launch. The Lionsgate “Starvation Video games” prequel, now as much as $145.2 million domestically and greater than $300 million globally, has held robust week after week.

Final week’s prime movie, Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron,” dipped to 3rd with $5.1 million in its second week of launch. The most recent movie from the 82-year-old Japanese anime grasp has already set data for Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli and its North American distributor GKids.

With holdovers making up a lot of the prime 10 films in theaters, the weekend’s different most notable enterprise was a gaggle of award contenders attempting to make their mark following Monday’s Golden Globes nominations.

Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Issues,” a surreal Frankenstein-esque fairy story starring Emma Stone, expanded into 82 theaters and grossed $1.3 million for Searchlight Photos. The movie, which is able to increase additional within the coming weeks, is nominated for seven Golden Globes, together with finest comedy or musical.

Wire Jefferson’s “American Fiction,” starring Jeffrey Wright as a sardonic novelist, debuted in seven theaters in three cities with a $32,411 per-screen common. MGM’s “American Fiction,” nominated for 2 Globes, will increase to 40 theaters subsequent week. It received the viewers award on the Toronto Worldwide Movie Pageant in September.

Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Curiosity,” a chilling Holocaust drama a few Nazi commandant and his household dwelling subsequent to Auschwitz, opened in 4 theaters with a $31,198 per-screen common. Nominated for 3 Globes, it’s going to play in restricted launch earlier than increasing in January.

Estimated ticket gross sales are for Friday by Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, based on Comscore. Closing home figures can be launched Monday.

1. “Wonka,” $39 million.

2. “The Starvation Video games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” $5.8 million.

3. “The Boy and the Heron,” $5.2 million.

4. “Godzilla Minus One,” $4.9 million.

5. “Trolls Band Collectively,” $4 million.

6. “Want,” $3.2 million.

7. “Christmas With the Chosen: Holy Evening,” $2.9 million.

8. “Napoleon,” $2.2 million.

9. “Renaissance: A Movie by Beyoncé,” $2 million.