At the box office, ‘Wish’ fizzles, ‘Napoleon’ exceeds expectations, and ‘Hunger Games’ stays on top

Disney’s latest animated venture, “Wish,” fell short of box office expectations during the Thanksgiving holiday. The musical fable, which follows 17-year-old Asha on a quest to save wishes from the evil King Magnifico, earned a weak $19.5 million over the traditional weekend and $31.7 million over the five days. It landed in third place behind Lionsgate’s “The Hunger Games” prequel, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” and Ridley Scott’s historical epic “Napoleon.”

Initial projections for “Wish” anticipated $35 million over the traditional weekend and $45 million to $50 million in its first five days. While not as catastrophic as Disney’s 2022 flop “Strange World,” it didn’t come close to the success of 2021’s “Encanto.” The lackluster performance contributes to Disney’s broader struggle at the box office, with most of its 2023 releases underperforming.

Despite this, “Wish” received an “A-” CinemaScore, indicating audience enjoyment. With a hefty $200 million production budget, the film aims to gain momentum during the holiday season, similar to the success of this summer’s “Elemental.”

On the other hand, “Napoleon,” a $200 million war epic starring Joaquin Phoenix, exceeded expectations, opening in second place with $21 million over the traditional weekend and $32.5 million in its first five days. Despite a tough genre and an R rating, analysts view the performance more favorably, considering the film’s adult-oriented target audience.

“The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” maintained its top position, adding $28.8 million over the weekend and $42 million since Wednesday. While not as lucrative as the original series, the prequel is well-positioned in its theatrical run, having cost $100 million to produce.

Other notable performances include Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s “Trolls Band Together” at No. 4 with $17.5 million and Sony’s holiday-themed slasher “Thanksgiving” at fifth place with $7.1 million. Disney’s “The Marvels” fell to sixth place with $6.4 million.

Despite a total Thanksgiving box office of $172 million, the highest since the pandemic began, it hasn’t reached pre-COVID levels of over $250 million. The encouraging results are seen as positive for theaters heading into the year-end.

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