Wonder Woman 1984 Earns 18.4 Billion KRW in North America Alone During Opening Weekend

Record Weekend Success in the COVID-19 Era
Popularity Amid Simultaneous Online-Theater Screening
May Disrupt the Traditional Theater-First, Online-Later Model

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] The Hollywood blockbuster "Wonder Woman 1984" achieved a box office record of $16.7 million (18.4 billion KRW) in the North American region during its opening weekend. Although this figure falls significantly short compared to the usual year-end peak season, it draws attention as an achievement made amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the 27th (local time), major foreign media reported that "Wonder Woman 1984" set the highest box office record among films released this year based on its opening week. Marketing research firm Comscore analyzed that "Wonder Woman 1984" earned approximately $80 million worldwide.

Wonder Woman 1984 [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

This year, the global film industry has experienced an unprecedented situation with theaters being nearly empty due to COVID-19. Research specialist firm Omdia estimated the losses incurred by the film industry this year to be around $32 billion.

What made "Wonder Woman 1984" particularly notable was that it achieved these records despite being released both in theaters and online. Warner Bros., the producer of "Wonder Woman 1984," established a strategy to release new films simultaneously in theaters and on its own streaming service, HBO Max. Initially, the market predicted that theatrical attendance would decline if films were released online. However, as "Wonder Woman 1984" continued to perform well in theaters, foreign media reported that Warner Bros.' strategy had been validated.

Success was confirmed not only in theaters but also online. According to Warner Bros., more than half of HBO Max subscribers watched "Wonder Woman 1984." Consequently, there are expectations that "Wonder Woman 1984" will contribute to expanding HBO Max's subscriber base. Due to a monthly fee of $15 and other factors, HBO Max had been slower in increasing subscribers compared to other streaming services. However, it has laid the groundwork for a turnaround through excellent content. Riding on the success of "Wonder Woman 1984," Warner Bros. has also confirmed the production of a third installment. Like its predecessors, Wonder Woman 3 will be directed by Patty Jenkins and star Gal Gadot.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.