Wuthering Heights was projected to be the big winner of the Valentine’s Day weekend, however, the film came up short against expectations.
The classic romance tale, which took major liberties with its source material, raked in $13.3 million on its Friday opening. Additionally earning $3 million in previews.
However, Warner Bros. had projected the title to reach $40 million across its first four days, which is a target the film may not achieve with its current opening.
Meanwhile, the film’s rival studios had predicted that it would gross between $33 million and $35 million, per The Hollywood Reporter.
While Wuthering Heights claimed the top spot at the US box office, it fell short of all kinds of tracking, including the one which had anticipated earnings “closer to $50 million heading into the weekend in North America.”
Moreover, despite the film’s target audience being older women, the marketing team “also worked hard to seduce Gen Zers and younger Millennials.”
THR’s report added that the efforts paid off since 53% of the opening day ticket sales for Wuthering Heights were initiated by audiences between ages 18 and 34.
Reviews for the film also reflect the dispute in its box office earnings, with mixed reactions propelling the film to a 63% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a B on CinemaScore.
Wuthering Heights stars Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as Emily Brontë’s romantic leads from the classic novel of the same name. The film opened in cinemas February 13.
