After getting off to a strong start on Christmas Day, The Color Purple lost some of its luster this weekend at the box office.
The movie musical finished the weekend in fourth place, after bringing in an industry projected total of $13 million between Friday and Sunday, according to box office tracking company Comscore.
The film posted an impressive $18.1 million opening day number on Dec. 25, but has continued to fall.
On Friday, it earned $4.1 million. It took in another $5.2 million Saturday and an estimated $3.7 million on Sunday.
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Comscore Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian noted that the film faces tough competition in theaters, especially from Wonka — which is now in its third weekend. Both films were released by Warner Bros.
“This past weekend was jam packed with new films and Wonka’s return to the top spot in weekend three showed how unpredictable and competitive this final weekend of the year is,” Dergarabedian told Urban Hollywood 411 on Sunday.
The Color Purple stars Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks, and Taraji P. Henson. Since it arrived in theaters, the film has earned a domestic total of $45.3 million through Sunday.
With a reported budget of $100 million, plus marketing costs, it will have to bring in a lot more green to become profitable.
Based on Alice Walker’s 1982 novel, the film tells the story of a group of Black women who rely on their sisterhood as they deal with hardship and trauma in rural Georgia in the 1930s.
Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Scott Sanders and Quincy Jones produced the film, which was directed by Blitz Bazawule. Spielberg helmed the Oscar-nominated 1985 movie adaptation of the book, which starred Whoopi Goldberg, Margaret Avery and Winfrey. Goldberg has a cameo in the new film.
So far, the reimagined 2023 movie has resonated with older Black moviegoers, but it hasn’t drawn as much interest from other demographics.
If it picks up SAG Award and Oscar nominations in the coming weeks, that could help generate more buzz and more ticket sales.
“The Color Purple is really just getting started,” Dergarabedian predicted.
The film has already received two Golden Globe nominations — best performance by a female actor in a supporting role for Danielle Brooks and best performance by a female actor in a motion picture – musical or comedy for Fantasia.
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As The Color Purple slowed at the box office, Wonka gained steam.
The fantasy musical starring Timothée Chalamet returned to the top spot with a 3-day domestic total of $23.9 million.
The film is based on characters by Roald Dahl, and takes place before the events of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory. The cast also includes Rowan Atkinson, Tom Davis, Sally Hawkins, Jim Carter, Olivia Colman, Matt Lucas, Simon Farnaby, Keegan-Michael Key.
Since it opened earlier this month, the film has earned $134.6 million in North America through Sunday, and more than $244 million overseas. Worldwide the film has earned $379 million.
Last week’s leader, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, slipped to second place with $19.5 million. The superhero saga continues to underperform after taking in $77.8 million after two weekends.
The animated family fantasy Migration was third between Friday and Sunday with $17.2 million.
As mentioned, The Color Purple was fourth, and the R-rated Sony comedy Anyone But You rounded out the top five with $9 million. With a reported cost of $25 million, the comedy starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell has earned back its budget after two weekends.
