The bizarre chocolatier played by Timothée Chalamet, Wonka, is having a sweet start at the pre-holiday box office.

Despite not making it to the top of Chalamet’s mother’s official ranking, it is evident that the fantasy musical is winning over fans all over the world. The movie, which was directed by Paul King of Paddington 2, made a $39 million domestic start, bringing its total worldwide to $151.4 million.

This is a promising beginning. The prequel provides some background information on the life of the enchanted candyman Willy Wonka from Roald Dahl’s beloved book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Notably, Wonka tests the musical prowess of aspiring R&B singer Chalamet. However, rather than rapping his way to an A+, Timmy T channels Gene Wilder as he charms Oompa Loompas, milks giraffes, and transports viewers to a realm of pure imagination with his chocolate creations. In addition, Hugh Grant, Olivia Colman, Sally Hawkins, Keegan-Michael Key, and Calah Lane are featured in the movie.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, behind in second place, brings its total to $145.2 million ($300.5 million worldwide) by an additional $5.8 million. The film breathes new life into the Young Adult dystopia by narrating the origin story of Coriolanus Snow, the man who would eventually oversee Katniss Everdeen’s stay in the arena. The Rachel Zegler vehicle is akin to a musical, with folk-style songs that subtly hint at revolt.

In other news, renowned director Hayao Miyakazi returned to the box office in 2013 following his retirement (not for the first time).

In the United States, Miyazaki’s most recent film, The Boy and the Heron, made $5.1 million in its second weekend in theaters. With this, its worldwide yield now stands at $126.5 million, while its domestic total is $23.1 million.

Godzilla Minus One continues to trample on the way to success, selling an additional $4.8 million worth of tickets to American audiences, bringing the total to $34.3 million ($65.4 million worldwide). The highest-grossing live-action Japanese film in North America is the kaiju epic, the 37th Godzilla film to date. The Japan-set movie, which tells a story completely separate from Legendary Pictures’ MonsterVerse, picks up after World War II, following a PTSD-stricken warrior who has to return to battle as a new threat in the shape of a massive monster appears.

Completely changing the mood, Trolls Band Together adds $4 million to complete the top five. By bringing back NSYNC for their newest musical attempt, the movie Poppy and Branch, which stars Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake as singing trolls, aims to appeal to a completely other audience. It is currently valued at $183.1 globally and $88.6 million domestically.