‘Wuthering Heights’ climbs to number 1 debut as women drive $34.8 million haul

Core Insights - "Wuthering Heights" directed by Emerald Fennell achieved the year's biggest opening with $34.8 million in its first three days in North America, with 76% of ticket buyers being women [1][2] Box Office Performance - The film's biggest day was on Valentine's Day, earning $14 million, and is projected to reach a total of $40 million by the end of the Presidents Day holiday [1][2] - Internationally, "Wuthering Heights" is expected to earn an additional $42 million from 76 territories, leading to a strong global debut of approximately $82 million [2][3] Production and Marketing - The production cost of "Wuthering Heights" was reported at $80 million, excluding marketing expenses [3] Competitive Landscape - The film outperformed other new releases, including "GOAT" and "Crime 101," with "GOAT" earning an estimated $26 million and "Crime 101" earning $15.1 million in their opening weekends [6][7] Critical Reception - The film has received mixed reviews, holding a 63% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and only 51% of the opening weekend audience indicated they would "definitely recommend" it [5] Industry Context - The weekend's box office performance is down compared to the same weekend last year, but there are upcoming releases like "Scream 7" and "Project Hail Mary" that may boost theater attendance [10][11]