Aquaman 2 makes a splash at the US box office: it starts less well than The Marvels

Six new releases join the top this weekend, including Migration and Iron Claw. (Source: Le Film Français)

Five years after grossing more than $1 billion at the global box office thanks to AquamanJames Wan was logically expected to turn the corner this weekend with his sequel, The Lost Kingdom. The final blockbuster of the DCU before a complete overhaul by Peter Safran and James Gunn did not attract crowds at the start, this weekend in the United States, despite the public holiday of Monday, December 25.

Aquaman 2 has in fact raised 28.1 million dollars in three days in 3,706 cinemas, and by adding the extra day, estimates climb to 40 million. Which is well below the first part, which had accumulated 67.9 million during its first weekend in December 2018. It is also lower than The Flash And Shazam 2, from the same studio, which debuted earlier this year with 55 million and 30 million, scores already below expectations. But it’s a little bit better than Blue Beetleanother superhero production from Warner Bros, which earned $25 million in its opening weekend this summer.

These first figures ofAquaman 2 at the American box office are also below two of The Marvelsa good competitor comparison, because Captain Marvel had also recorded $1 billion in revenue in 2019. Its sequel debuted to $47 million in three days last month, which was considered a huge disappointment, and today there are 84 million domestically and 205 worldwide. Or less than its total budget.

This suggests a flop for Aquaman 2 which also cost a lot, more than 200 million without counting its promotion.

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We then find Wonkawhich had well started last weekend and which adds 17.7 million greenbacks to its local score, or 75.2 million won in 4,213 theaters. In the world, this prequel to Charlie and the chocolate factory, produced by the same studio, has already crossed the $200 million mark. It should be a success, a few months after the box full of barbiealso supported by Warner.

In the rest of the top we find no less than 5 other new releases: the animated film MigrationIllumination (Minions), the romantic comedy Everything except youwith Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, the Indian thriller Sallar: Part One – Ceasefirewhich as its title indicates must have a sequel, and the drama with a wrestling background Iron Claw, acclaimed for the performances of Zac Efron and Jamie Allen White, followed from third to sixth place, recording between $12.3 million and $5 million. Finally, Bollywood production Dunki completes the top 10 thanks to $2.7 million raised in just 686 theaters.

Among the continuities, we note that The Boy and the HeronHayao Miyazaki’s latest film, crossed the 30 million mark in three weeks, and the prequel to Hunger Hames is the only one on the list to have earned more than $150 million in domestic.

US box office for the weekend of December 22-24, 2024:

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom: aqua good? (critical)