‘Wonka’ hits the sweet spot, tops box office on opening weekend

“Wonka,” the whimsical origin story of the fictional chocolatier, secured the top spot in domestic theaters this weekend with $39 million in sales.

“Wonka,” the whimsical origin story of the fictional chocolatier, secured the top spot in domestic theaters this weekend with an estimated $39 million in sales. The musical fantasy film beat out another prequel, “Hunger Games: A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” for the No. 1 slot and is off to a promising start, according to industry analysts. It also opened as the the No. 1 film worldwide, grossing more than $151 million. It follows a young Willy Wonka before he became the enigmatic chocolate factory owner from Roald Dahl’s 1964 book, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Timothée Chalamet, who plays the titular character, is the third Wonka iteration to grace the silver screen. He follows in the footsteps of Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp, who took on the character in 1971 and 2005, respectively. The film has been well received by both critics and audiences. So far, it has found its primary fanbase with women and girls under the age of 25, according to Warner Bros. “Wonka” could also be a strong draw for families with children heading into the holiday break, appealing to the nostalgia of parents who grew up watching the 1971 movie. “The holiday period is a time where families are hungry for entertainment and a PG-rated musical like ‘Wonka’ is just the ticket for this audience that, over the next couple of weeks, will have the film on their must-see list,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “This, along with great reviews, should ensure long-term playability for the film.”