“Wonder Woman 1984” didn’t set an all-time record at the box office, but the film became the highest opening picture during the coronavirus pandemic, according to early estimates.
What happened:
“Wonder Woman 1984” garnered $16.7 million in its domestic opening run over the weekend, which is the most of any film released during the COVID-19 pandemic. The film amassed $36.1 million worldwide, The Guardian reports.
- The film was released simultaneously on HBO Max, the new streaming service from Warner Bros.
- About half of HBO Max’s subscribers watched “Wonder Woman 1984” over the weekend, too. HBO Max had about 3.6 million users back in October, according to CNBC. It’s unclear if “Wonder Woman 1984” brought the app new subscribers.
Key quote:
- “Wonder Woman 1984 broke records and exceeded our expectations across all of our key viewing and subscriber metrics in its first 24 hours on the service, and the interest and momentum we’re seeing indicates this will likely continue well beyond the weekend,” said Andy Forssell, executive vice president and general manager, of WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer division. “During these very difficult times, it was nice to give families the option of enjoying this uplifting film at home, where theater viewing wasn’t an option.”
Bigger picture
The debut of “Wonder Woman 1984” shows there is still an appetite for movie theaters since the film earned such high numbers during the most deadly time of the pandemic. The film’s release on theaters and HBO Max offered an option to all customers who wanted to see the film, too.