If you look up in the sky this weekend, you won’t see a bird, a plane or even Superman. Instead, it’s Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman. The DC Comics icon is finally making her big-screen debut this weekend with a standalone origin story that’s not just hoping the re-juice the DC Comic cinematic universe, but also reignite a summer box office that’s gotten off to a rather sluggish start. As the first reports come out it appears Wonder Woman is checking both boxes in rather sublime fashion.
Armed with rave reviews and tremendous goodwill – Gal Gadot made her debut as the Amazonian princess in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (and was considered a highlight in the feature, one of the few things critics and fans could agree on in relation with the movie) – Wonder Woman is looking to kick-ass at the box office in its opening weekend, with an opening of $100 million in North American ticket sales possible.
In Thursday night previews, Wonder Woman took in a strong $11 million (notably that amount was nearly identical to what the first Guardians of the Galaxy earned in preview/midnight performances), while the film nabbed an estimated $38 million in its first full day of release. If Wonder Woman is able to break $100 million in its first weekend, it would become only the third movie to do so this year, joining Beauty and the Beast and Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2. Aiding its cause is a terrific “A” grade from CinemaScore built from early acclaim; the film currently has a 94% fresh rating from Rotten Tomatoes, the highest by a considerable degree of the current DC Comics brand.
One record that Wonder Woman will surely break – and one that should hold considerable distinction – is the film will surely become the biggest opening weekend for a female director. Jenkins, who previously guided Charlize Theron to an Oscar in the 2003 indie Monster, helmed Wonder Woman; her success here will hopefully send a much-needed and belated signal to Hollywood. The previous highest grossing opener for a female directed feature was Sam Taylor-Johnson’s Fifty Shades of Grey, which earned $85 million in February of 2015.
Stay with us to see how high Wonder Woman will soar.
Leave a Comment