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1. WEST SIDE STORY opened at #1 over a dreadfully slow frame with a debut of just $10.5M (Million) domestic and $14.9M worldwide. The U.S. opened on the low end of expectations, while international was smaller than the studio anticipated, pointing to troubled waters ahead both in the states and across the globe for Steven Spielberg's critically-praised musical adaptation. Produced for $100M plus marketing, this will assuredly lose money for 20th Century Studios and Disney, even as it looks set for a lengthy awards run.
2. ENCANTO is #2 with $9.4M, a domestic total of $71.3M, and $151.8M worldwide. The play here has always been to collect as much theatrical revenue as possible before debuting on the Disney+ streaming service over the Christmas holiday, and to that end, Disney has been succeeding. Full metrics will depend on how much audience engagement the film has on streaming, but for the studio, theatrical has become just one component of how they measure success and profit.
3. GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE is #3 with $7.1M, a domestic total of $112M, and a global total of $164.7M and rising. Produced for $75M plus marketing, the film is well on its way towards profitability for Sony, and looks set to enjoy holiday play when schools let out across the U.S. over the next two weeks. A sequel is all but guaranteed at this point.
4. HOUSE OF GUCCI is #4 with $4M, a domestic total of $41M, and $93M worldwide. Produced for $75M plus marketing, the jury is still out on this film's financial prospects, but it looks increasingly feasible that they could hit break-even range theatrically before its global run is over, thanks to strong holds and a better than expected performance internationally, where the stars and subject matter are resonating more than in the states.
5. ETERNALS is #5 with $3.1M, a domestic total of $161.2M, and $395M worldwide. Produced for $200M plus marketing, this Marvel Studios release is not only rated "Rotten" but will lose money for the studio, in what is a rare misfire both critically and commercially for the otherwise mostly-lauded MCU brand.
6. RESIDENT EVIL: WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY is #6 with $1.6M, a domestic total of $15.8M, and $30.7M worldwide. Produced for $25M plus marketing, this will be a moderate financial loss for Screen Gems.
7. CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG is #7 with $1.3M, a domestic total of $47.7M, and $62M worldwide, in addition to being the most-watched film ever on Paramount+. The studio has deemed this enough of a success to put a sequel into development.
8. CHRISTMAS WITH THE CHOSEN fell to #8 with $1.2M, and a total of $13.4M, in what has been a strong success story for distributor Fathom Events.
9. DUNE is #9 with $857K, a domestic total of $106.2M to become the top WB title of the year in the U.S., and a global haul of almost $390M. A sequel has already been announced with the release date set, as the entire cast and crew returns for an adaptation of the classic novel's second half, completing the sci-fi epic.
10. VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE is #10 with $850K, an impressive domestic haul of $212M (nearly identical to the first film's $213M total), and $493.3M worldwide, with the expectation that they will cross the $500M threshold either this upcoming week or the next. Produced for $110M plus marketing, this has been a wildly profitable hit for Sony, with a third film in the franchise on the way.
This week sees SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME launch in select markets on December 15th before spinning its web on U.S. audiences starting on December 16th, along with a gigantic global start simultaneously in many key territories. All eyes will be watching its debut numbers across the entire world, with tracking comparisons being made to both STAR WARS and the biggest of Marvel Studios releases, suggesting that Sony, Marvel, and Disney's partnership on this flagship superhero franchise is going to yield massive results over its launch frame, and well beyond throughout the holidays.