Deadline's blockbuster blockbuster tour is back. As studios during Covid wildly embraced the day-and-date theatrical model when theaters closed, they soon realized that there was nothing more profitable than a theatrical release and the downstream streams that come with it. Either way, theatrical is advertising a film's longevity in subsequent home entertainment windows. Entering the conversation in 2023 are broadcasters, like Apple, who have also realized the need for theaters to eventually stream their movies. Financial data is gathered here for Deadline's Most Valuable Blockbuster Tour it is taken from experienced and reliable sources.
FILM
Wonka
Warner Bros
As moviegoers bounced back post-Covid, movie musicals were thought dead after the dismal performances of Broadway musicals. West Side Story, Dear Evan Hansen AND In the Heights. Then it comes together Wonka, an original musical with songs by Divine Comedy lead singer Neil Hannon, this latest version of the Roald Dahl classic on screen ends up earning $632.3 million at the global box office, surpassing the final tally of the 2005 film directed by Tim Burton, starring Johnny Depp. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ($474.9 million) and brings the entire Warner Bros. franchise to $1.1 billion. Former Warner Bros. president of production and development Courtenay Valenti had been working for a long time to win back the rights to the Dahl character from the author's estate (despite Netflix's side deal with her), accomplishing this feat in October 2016. The idea was to make a musical similar to Gene Wilder's original 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, but the studio also wanted to go back to Wonka's origins and how he became the candy titan. Paddington Franchise director Paul King was set to direct, with a flourish Dune superstar Timothée Chalamet landed the lead role from the director after seeing the actor's high school performances on YouTube.
BOX SCORE
AT THE END OF THE END
What's the trick to succeeding with a musical on the big screen? You have to hide it from the marketing audience and cheat them, in this case to the tune of $140 million in P&A. Once the audience is inside the theater, they will either love it or hate it, and some loved it as during the holiday season: Wonkawhich opened in US theaters on December 15, was No. 1 for three of its first four weekends at the BO (Note: The only time it was No. 2 was when Warner Bros. opened DC's Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom during Christmas; Wonka destroyed that continuation as in the state [$218.4M vs. $124.4M] and worldwide [$632.3M vs. $434.4M] currency.) The current management of Warner Bros. films Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy were very excited about Wonka, they began airing it in the media before Thanksgiving to generate word of mouth; exhibitors got a taste of the musical at CinemaCon in April. Also working on WonkaThe actors' favor was the actors' strike that ended on November 8, enabling the film to really ignite a PR tour with a world premiere in London, another in Los Angeles, and Chalamet singing the film's theme song “Pure Imagination” during it . Saturday Night Live Reception concert on November 11. The $150 million in streaming revenue includes money Warner Bros. paid itself to put the film on its Max streaming service. Wonka it was such a success, paired with that of Chalamet Dune: Part Two (Combined worldwide for both titles at $1.3 million), that the Burbank, CA lot landed a first-look feature film deal with the Oscar-nominated actor. The bottom line here is $182 million in net profit, proving that musicals are still very much alive.
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