Wonder Woman 1984 is finally out in the wild in some regions, as Patty Jenkins’ long-awaited sequel finally makes its international premiere today. Most of Western Europe will see Wonder Woman make her way to theaters over the next few days, with places like the United Kingdom and France leading the pack, followed by other large countries like South Africa, Indonesia, Brazil, and Nigeria.
However, it won’t be until next Friday when Wonder Woman 1984 debuts in North America, both in theaters and on HBO Max, after the movie is screened in the Chinese and Asian markets. The significance of these two is further highlighted by the fact that across Europe cinemas remain either completely or partially closed.
Regardless of that, early indications noted by Deadline suggest that Wonder Woman 1984 could rake in as much as $60 million from its international opening weekend, a hefty sum given current circumstances, and only slightly below the $73 million gross that 2017’s Wonder Woman brought home in a world concerned with COVID-19.
The biggest player here would be China, where Wonder Woman is set to face stiff local competition from The Rescue: a war film sequel to Operation Red Sea, one of China’s highest-grossing movies of all time. Despite that, when Gal Gadot and company land in China this Friday, their odds will be boosted by The Rescue’s lukewarm reception and a 90 percent share of all IMAX screenings in the country.
Overall, the entire Asian continent is not dealing with closed theaters in the same way Europe is, with France only opening back up one day prior to Wonder Woman 1984, whereas Brazilian cinemas are currently working at about two thirds capacity. Then again, Wonder Woman’s overwhelmingly positive early reviews, and it being the only superhero film in 2020, means that the movie does have a lot going for it wherever it plays.
In only a few more days Warner Bros. will know just much China can carry Wonder Woman 1984, though if Tenet’s performance is any indicator, it’s the American box office that the studio should be worried about, not the foreign one.
Wonder Woman 1984 is scheduled for theatrical and streaming release in the United States on December 25.
Source: Deadline