Margot Robbie leads the Valentine's Day box office with 'Wuthering Heights'
The film Wuthering Heights, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, attracted many viewers on Valentine's Day, leading the box office in North America with a gross of US$14.4 million on Saturday. It is expected that the feature will win the extended President's Day/Valentine's Day weekend with an estimated US$40 million in domestic revenue and another US$40 million in international markets, totaling a global launch of US$80 million.
However, the film by director Emerald Fennell, who adapted Emily Brontë's iconic novel in a rather unconventional manner, may not reach the domestic expectations of US$40 million. Analysts predicted the work could gross up to US$50 million in the US since Robbie, who is also a prolific producer, is returning to the cinemas in her first leading role in a studio film since the success of Warner Bros' Barbie.
Not always positive reviews and a B rating on CinemaScore, along with moderate exit surveys conducted by PostTrak, suggest the film may end up grossing between US$33 million and US$35 million. Additionally, Sony Animation's family animation film, GOAT, is exceeding expectations and, with a gross of US$11.4 million on Valentine's Day, may threaten the leadership of Wuthering Heights in the US, with Sony predicting a four-day launch of US$32 million.
The most obvious audience for Wuthering Heights is older women, but the studio's marketing team has also made efforts to attract Generation Z and younger Millennials, as reflected by the advertising campaign. Similarly, Crime 101, another release, is capturing a larger slice of the older female viewership. This heist film proved to be a popular date choice for audiences 55 years and older on Valentine's Day, forecasted to finish in third place at the box office with US$17.8 million.
The story follows Detective Lou Lubesnick, portrayed by an all-star cast including Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry, and Mark Ruffalo, in the hunt for a multimillion-dollar jewel thief who follows a strict set of rules known as 'Crime 101'. The film maintains a steady score of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to 63% for Wuthering Heights and 79% for GOAT.
The numbers may still change due to the extended weekend. More information will be made available soon.