The film’s initial haul is nothing to sneeze at, but it’s also still far from recouping its costs: Variety puts the movie’s production budget alone at $200 million, making it seem likely that this film will go down in history as an overpriced passion project rather than an “Oppenheimer”-level historical drama hit. “Napoleon” faces off against an incredibly crowded theatrical slate this weekend, as there seem to be great viewing options every which way you turn. In addition to “Wish” and the “Hunger Games” prequel, IP-forward projects like animated sequel “Trolls Band Together” and superhero offering “The Marvels” are still in theaters, as are several intriguing smaller dramas like “Priscilla,” “Saltburn,” and “The Holdovers.”
/Film’s box office guru Ryan Scott predicted last week that “Napoleon” won’t make back its budget, but like Apple’s other big 2023 release, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” it’ll get a decent amount of theatrical exposure that will position it well for award season. Hopefully, Apple’s recent theatrical release strategy holds strong no matter where “Napoleon” lands at the box office, given that movie-goers have been begging major streamers to give their original films proper theatrical releases for years. The film is currently playing in 3,500 theaters, including some IMAX options.
Variety predicts that “Napoleon” could end up around $73 million globally this week. Give it more time in theaters — and a potential Best Actor Oscar nomination bump and re-release down the line — and the film could end up looking like a good studio investment after all.