Thanksgiving Box Office: Disney's 'Wish' Falls Short, Apple's 'Napoleon' Surprises

The latest animated offering from Walt Disney Co. DIS, “Wish,” fell short of its projected success at the Thanksgiving box office. In contrast, Ridley Scott‘s “Napoleon” — financed by Apple Inc. 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.

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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.

Why It Matters: 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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