The infamous French emperor and military commander Napoleon Bonaparte would be proud.
Ridley Scott’s new historical epic Napoloen, starring Joaquin Phoenix in the titular role, is turning into the surprise victor of the Thanksgiving box office. The film, which opened Wednesday across North America, is on course to earn as much as $36.5 million to $37.5 million for the five-day holiday corridor, putting it in an unexpectedly close race with Disney Animation’s Wish.
From Apple Original Films and Sony, Napoleon is coming in well ahead of expectations despite receiving a not-so-victorious B- CinemaScore from moviegoers. Males made up nearly 70 percent of Wednesday’s audience, while more than half of ticket buyers were over the age of 35, including 15 percent over the age of 55, according to PostTrak exits. The movie earned $7.7 million for the day, including $3 million in previews.
Napoloen is the second big theatrical swing from Apple Original Films after Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, which is currently in theaters via Paramount. Apple Original Films fully financed the two tentpoles, which both have Oscar ambitions. Sony is Apple’s global distribution and marketing partner on Napoleon.
Heading into the Thanksgiving frame, Napoleon was looking at a five-day holiday cume of $22 million to $25 million.
Tracking had Wish, an original story with no affiliated IP, topping the Thanksgiving chart with a five-day feast of $45 million to $50 million, but those predictions appear to have been too bullish. Disney has suffered a rocky year at the box office, capped by recent bust The Marvels, and could have used an unqualified win.
Wish, which earned $8.3 million on Wednesday, could overcome a soft opening if it plays throughout December and into the year-end holidays, buoyed by an A- CinemaScore and strong PostTrak exits.
Both Wish and Napoloen are going up against The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls Band Together. Those two films opened last weekend in order to get a jump on Thanksgiving week, which can be one of the most lucrative stretches of the year for moviegoing.
With Wish struggling, Lionsgate’s Hunger Games prequel is now expected to top the five-day Thanksgiving chart (Wednesday-Sunday) with $40 million to $42 million in a win for Liongate’s attempt to launch a new spinoff franchise.
Trolls Band Together is looking at a fourth-pace finish with an estimated five-day gross of $27 million.
