Wonka To Win First Box Office Weekend of 2024

Wonka is projected to win the first box office weekend of 2024. Estimates have Wonka earning $15.5 million this weekend for its third first-place finish in the past four weeks, beating new Blumhouse horror flick Night Swim on its opening weekend. The later picture will earn $12.5 million in its first frame, landing in second place, where DCEU swan song Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom wrestles with Illumination's animated Migration for third place. Wonka's running box office total will rise to $165.2 million. Wonka, a prequel to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, has received a largely positive reception from critics. In ComicBook.com's Wonka review, Kofi Outlaw awarded the film a score of 4 out of 5 stars. He writes:

"Wonka has a lot going for it, but the screenplay by Simon Farnaby and Paul King does admittedly drag in parts. The premise of the film's story (Willy falling into indentured servitude and having to sell his chocolates in secret) has admirable thematic goals, conveying a story about how such pleasures are best shared and enjoyed by groups, and how Wonka learns that lesson through experience. However, the actual beats of the story begin to feel circular, and by the second act, it's hard to gauge where the story is trying to go. When the plane ultimately gets to the hangar, the point is hammered home in a heartfelt way, yet it doesn't feel like the journey was completed with confidence, instead salvaged in the edit bay. But a salvage job is still a salvage job in the end – and like its titular protagonist, Wonka has just enough magic to pull from some unseen corner of its hat to have fans walk away feeling like the treat was worth it."

Outlaw gave a less positive review in his 2-out-of-5-stars review of Night Swim. He writes, "Night Swim is proof that creating a horror concept is far simpler than creating an entire horror story – and certainly a feature-length horror film to convey that story. Bryce McGuire shows promise as a filmmaker but needs to do a few more laps before he's an able swimmer."

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which marks the end of the DC Extended Universe, has received a poor critical reception. In ComicBook.com's Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom review, Jenna Anderson awarded the film 3 out of 5 stars. She writes:

"Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is perfectly fine, whether as a showcase of some of its titular character's weirdest lore, the finale to one of the most controversial film franchises in modern history, or an entertaining-enough superhero movie in a landscape that no longer has to rely solely on them. While the film certainly doesn't manage to break new ground, an argument can be made that it doesn't necessarily need to — it's just a pleasant, largely entertaining time with a character whose big-screen portrayal was one of the DCEU's rare successes. Thanks to its free-wheeling attitude and committed ensemble cast, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom closes a cinematic chapter in a silly, but satisfying-enough way."

These films are all playing now in theaters. The full list of the top 10 films at the box office this weekend follows.