Wonka has made its way into theaters, marking the first time a film has had a full marketing push since the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike. While it may not have much going against it in the US market, the overseas opening faces fierce competition, especially in Saudi Arabia. 

A thriller from director Ali Kalthami, Night Courier, also known as Mandoob, raked in 114,000 admissions on its home turf, totaling a gross of $1.58 million, beating out Wonka. Night Courier launched on all 121 screens across 63 theaters in Saudi Arabia. Wonka opened to $616,000 from 38,000 admissions. 

The opening comes after a successful circuit at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah. 

The film follows a Fahad, played by Mohamed AlDokhei, working as a night courier, or a mandoob, who gets caught up in the schemes of an alcohol ring. While dealing with his job, he’s also coming to terms with societal changes that Saudi Arabia faces after opening up as part of their 2023 strategy. 

The last film to hold the record for best opening for a Saudi Arabian film was Sattar, which made $11 million, selling 903,000 tickets in its run. Deadline reports that it is also the second-biggest opening in Saudi Arabia for an Arabic film ever. Bahebek (I Love You) currently holds the biggest opening in Saudi Arabia, earning 300,000 tickets in 2022.

“We took a leap into uncharted territory, exploring a new genre, and witnessing the audience’s enthusiastic embrace of the film is immensely gratifying,” Kalthami had to say. Night Courier marks Kalthami’s first step into filmmaking after forming a reputation with audiences at home. Along with two others, he crafted Telfaz11 on YouTube, which has published many videos garnering over a billion views. 

“Only 13% of releases in 2023 were local-language, and yet, they’ve achieved over 36% of the Box Office, a steady growth from previous years. This prospect is hugely exciting for Arab cinema, and we’d like to congratulate the whole Telfaz11 and Muvi Studios team on the film’s success,” said Gianluca Chakra, CEO of the film’s distributor, Front Row. 

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