In brief: Wonder Woman 1984 debuted on Christmas Day and exceeded projections. Warner Bros. revealed that nearly half of all retail HBO Max subscribers watched the movie on launch day. Total viewing hours on Friday were more than triple in comparison to an average day, the studio said.
Warner Bros. decision to premiere Wonder Woman 1984 on HBO Max the same day it hit theaters ruffled a lot of feathers but in hindsight, the gamble appears to have paid off.
Warner Bros. said the film "easily conquered" the holiday weekend, exceeding projections as "the top post-pandemic domestic opening weekend for any feature film this year." Wonder Woman 1984 brought in $16.7 million at the box office, pushing the worldwide tally for the film to $85 million thus far.
I'm not sure I'd call this the post-pandemic era as the situation is far from under control, but to each their own I suppose.
Private watch parties and large-format screen showings like IMAX were the most popular options among viewers. More than 10,000 private rentals were booked over opening weekend, Warner Bros. said. Alamo Drafthouse, AMC and others now offer the option to rent out full auditoriums for private screenings to create a safer viewing environment during the pandemic.
Warner Bros. Chairman Toby Emmerich said they are excited to continue the story of Diana Prince with their "real life Wonder Women" who will return to conclude the long-planned trilogy.
Wonder Woman 1984 was the sequel to the first film in the franchise from 2017 and the ninth overall installment in the DC Extended Universe.