Disney’s ‘Wish’ Disappoints At Box Office; Apple’s ‘Napoleon’ Exceeds Expectations

The latest animated offering from Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS), “Wish,” fell short of its projected success at the Thanksgiving box office. In contrast, Ridley Scott‘s “Napoleon” — financed by Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) — outperformed its forecasted gross, according to Variety.

What Happened: Despite high expectations, “Wish” reportedly managed to pull in only $19.5 million over the weekend and $31.7 million over five days, landing in third place behind Lionsgate’s “The Hunger Games” prequel “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” and Ridley Scott’s war epic “Napoleon.”

While “Wish” did add $17.3 million from the international box office, this performance continues a trend of underachievement for Disney’s 2023 releases.

Meanwhile, “Napoleon,” which cost $200 million to produce, opened with a strong $21 million over the weekend and $32.5 million in its first five days, totaling $78.8 million globally.

The reigning box office champion, ‘The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’, held onto the top spot, adding $28.8 million over the weekend and $42 million since Wednesday, bringing its total to nearly $200 million worldwide.

Earlier this month, Disney CEO Bob Iger acknowledged that the company’s recent films have not lived up to its quality standards.

This admission followed a series of box office disappointments from the studio, including “Elemental,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.”

The less-than-stellar performance of “Wish” continues this downward trend for Disney, further validating Iger’s earlier concerns. This also raises questions about the potential performance of upcoming Disney projects.

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