“Wonka” (Warner Bros.) achieved something that the much bigger “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” didn’t. With the #1 spot again this week on VOD top 10s of iTunes, Google Play, and Vudu, it becomes the first film to do this since “Avatar: The Way of Water” last year.
It didn’t come without a challenge. “The Iron Claw” (A24), like the Roald Dahl-inspired musical priced at $19.99 (though to buy; “Wonka” remains rental only) when released on Tuesday, held the #1 spot at iTunes for five days before dropping down. It’s #2 as well at Vudu, with the always lagging Google Play showing it at #5.
Netflix saw a similarly close battle, with the original rom-com “Players” debuting on Valentine’s Day leading leading their top 10 for four days until Eli Roth’s “Thanksgiving,” the latest Sony release to initially stream on the platform, debuted. The Gina Rodriguez/Damon Wayans Jr. film was directed by Trish Sie.
“Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” of course have been much bigger at-home successes based on the longevity of their chart placement, though without any reported numbers. Meantime, expect “Wonka” to be displaced by “Anyone but You,” a more recent Sony release coming out on PVOD on Tuesday.
Unlike the two July smash hits, “Wonka” has faced little new competition otherwise since it added PVOD play. It is the only film since the July duo to surpass $200 million in domestic box office, and unlike those two had significant other top movies that were home released by their third weeks out.
The other major shift this week came from “Trolls World Tour” (Universal) and “The Hunger Games — The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” (Lionsgate) becoming available for $5.99 rentals. “Trolls” fared slightly better, placing at #3 st iTunes. Both films managed to place at Vudu, despite that site calculating by revenue (favoring $19.99 titles) rather than by transactions as do the other two.
Still $19.99 “The Beekeeper” (Amazon MGM) and ” Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” (WB) rounded out the six films on all three lists. “Beautiful Wedding” (Voltage), a rom-com that played as a Fathom special event in January took #9 at Vudu at $19.99
“Players” was one of four Netflix originals on its current top 10, but the only live action feature. Two British documentaries — “Lover, Stalker, Killer” (last week’s #1) and a BBC program “Einstein and the Bomb” (a Netflix domestic exclusive) and the the animated “Orion and the Dark” also rank this week.
A note of Netflix’s own weekly chart. Neither the company nor media reports make it clear that its calculations of minutes watched for both their movies and series are for worldwide viewing. Last week, “Despicable Me 3” ranked #1. But it has never been on our chart.
Why? Because we list domestic, and Universal currently doesn’t license that film to them in the U.S. Other than its own productions, Netflix’s programming varies widely country by country, something that if clarified would make its listings more comprehensive.
Apple TV and Google Play rank films daily by number of transactions. These are the listings for Monday, February 19. Distributors listed are current rights owners. Prices for all titles are for lowest for either rental or download.
Apple TV/ iTunes
1.Wonka (WB) – $19.99
2. The Iron Claw (A24) – $19.99
3. Trolls Band Together (Universal) – $5.99
4.Oppenheimer (Universal) – $5.99
5. The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (Lionsgate) – $5.99
6. The Beekeeper (Amazon MGM) – $19.99
7. Anatomy of a Fall (Neon) – $6.99
8. American Fiction (Amazon MGM) – $19.99
9.Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (WB) – $19.99
10. The Holdovers (Focus) – $5.99
Google Play
1. Wonka (WB) – $19.99
2. The Beekeeper (Amazon MGM) – $19.99
3. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (WB) – $19.99
4. Oppenheimer (Universal) – $5.99
5. The Iron Claw (A24) – $19.99
6. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (Lionsgate) – $5.99
7. Trolls Band Together (Universal) – $5.99
8. Migration (Universal) – $19.99
9. Wish (Disney) – $19.99
10. Barbie (WB) – $5.99
Vudu
Vudu ranks by revenue, not transactions, elevating premium VOD titles. This list covers February 12-18.
1. Wonka (WB) – $19.99
2. The Iron Claw (Lionsgate) – $19.99
3. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (WB) – $19.99
4. The Beekeeper (Amazon MGM) – $19.99
5. Trolls Band Together (Universal) – $5.99
6. Migration (Universal) – $19.99
7. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (Lionsgate) – $5.99
8. The Boys in the Boat (Amazon MGM) – $19.99
9. Beautiful Wedding (Voltage) – $19.99
10. Wish (Disney) – $19.99
Netflix Movies
Most viewed, current ranking on Netflix’s domestic daily chart on Monday, February 19. Originals include both Netflix-produced and acquired titles it initially presents in the U.S. Netflix publishes its own worldwide weekly top 10 on Tuesdays based on time viewed.
1. Thanksgiving (2023 theatrical release)
2. Players (Netflix original)
3. Lover, Stalker, Killer (Netflix original British documentary)
4. Einstein and the Bomb (Netflix original British documentary)
5.The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023 theatrical release)
6. The Abyss (1989 theatrical release)
7. Orion and the Dark (Netflix animated original)
8. Crossroads (2002 theatrical release)
9. American Assassin (2017 theatrical release)
10. Minions (2015 theatrical release)
