Dec. 28, 2023

The Color Purple Thrives with $18 Million Opening on Christmas

A lively adaptation of a book turned film and broadways musical, The Color Purple succeeded at the box office on Christmas Day. By: Dylan Low

The film has succeeded many expectations by achieving $18 million from North American theatres. This makes the most large-scale Christmas Day opening for a film since 2009, and the second-biggest Christmas Day opening in history. 

Ticket sales were enough to top the ratings on Monday, leading the two other newcomer films, namely Neon’s racing movie Ferrari and director George Clooney’s inspirational sports biography The Boys in the Boat. Warner Bros. notably claimed the leading three spots on domestic charts with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and Wonka achieved second and third place, respectively.

Backed by positive reviews and a highlighted “A” CinemaScore, The Color Purple made the first musical in a while that has made numbers at the box office. The film, supported by Warner Bros. and directed by Blitz Bazawule, earned more in a single day than latest stage-to-screen stories such as West Side Story with $10.5 million, In the Heights with $11 million, Dear Evan Hansen with $7.5 million and Cats with $6.6 million — profiting in their opening weekends. The Color Purple undoubtedly benefitted by debuting on Christmas Day, one of the most popular days of the year to watch films. This marks a favourable start for the $100 million-budgeted musical, aided with word of mouth in the upcoming days.

The Color Purple is set to be the mainstream option for families in the remainder of the festive holiday period. American Idol season winner Fantasia Barrino does an excellent job showcasing the trials, tribulations and triumphs of Celie, a Black woman located in Georgia back in the early 1900s. Other cast members include Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo and Halle Bailey.

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