Summary
- The Color Purple broke a nine-year record by winning the Christmas Day box office, becoming the first non-franchise film to do so since 2014.
- It exceeded expectations by making $18 million on its opening day, suring other 2023 releases in just two days.
- The Color Purple is on track to potentially break even with at least $200 million, making it a refreshing box office success.
By winning at the Christmas Day 2023 box office, Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple movie in 1985. The story follows Celie (Fantasia Barrino) from childhood to adulthood as she navigates life as a Black girl and woman living in the South in the early 1900s.
The Color Purple premiered domestically in theaters on Christmas Day, often one of the biggest movie-going days of the year. The Color Purple made $18 million at the box office its opening day, beating fellow Christmas Day openers like Michael Mann's Ferrari and George Clooney's The Boys in the Boat, as well as every other film already in theaters. By topping the box office on its opening day, The Color Purple's win marks the end of a Christmas box office streak that started nearly a decade ago.
Where To Watch The Color Purple 2023 On Streaming
2023's The Color Purple movie adaptation brings a musical twist to the story, and viewers can watch it in theaters or at home on streaming later.
It's Been Nearly A Decade Since A Non-Major Franchise Won The Christmas Day Box Office
This hasn't happened since 2014
Due to The Color Purple's opening day success, for the first time in nine years, the Christmas Day box office winner is not a film from a major franchise (via Box Office Mojo). From 2015 to 2022, only films tied to cinematic universes and franchises, such as Star Wars, Avatar, the MCU, and the DCEU, have topped the Christmas Day box office. Prior to this, the last non-franchise film to dominate at the box office on Christmas Day was Unbroken in 2014. Directed by Angelina Jolie, Unbroken is a biographical war movie based on the true story of U.S. Olympian and Army officer Louis Zamperini.
Last year, Avatar: The Way of Water grossed the highest on Christmas Day, and the MCU's Spider-Man: No Way Home did the same the year prior. As for the DCEU, Wonder Woman 1984 and Aquaman topped the Christmas Day box office in 2020 and 2018, respectively. However, Star Wars movies have overwhelmed the box office in this category, with half the Christmas Day winners over the past eight years belonging to the Star Wars franchise. For a while, it seemed that only blockbusters from superhero or sci-fi franchises could top the box office on Christmas Day, but The Color Purple has just shattered this belief.
Was The Color Purple Expected To Win 2023's Christmas Box Office?
The Color Purple exceeded box office expectations
Given the overwhelmingly positive (2023), it was expected to do well. However, The Color Purple was not necessarily predicted to top the Christmas Day 2023 box office. According to Vulture, The Color Purple was expected to make $10-12 million on its opening day. Of course, the film far exceeded that estimation with $18 million, making The Color Purple the biggest Christmas Day opening in fourteen years and the second-biggest of all time, after Sherlock Holmes with $24 million in 2009.
Since its opening day, The Color Purple's box office numbers could sur its budget of approximately $100 million in no time, and may ultimately break even with at least $200 million. Either way, The Color Purple is a refreshing, certified box office success already.
Sources: Box Office Mojo, Vulture
