It's been a crazy week in the U.S., and the coming days are likely to be just as eventful (albeit in different ways). This is probably why Deadline points out that, even without the pandemic, the box office would have likely been a little muted this weekend.
Regardless, in its third weekend of release, Wonder Woman 1984 dropped 45% to earn $3 million at 2,218 theaters. That takes its current domestic haul up to $32.6 million, a far cry from Tenet's eventual - and still pretty dreadful - $58 million haul last year. This is no reflection on the DC Comics sequel, though, as there are plenty of good reasons why these numbers are so disappointing.
For starters, 60% of theaters remain closed. Wonder Woman 1984 is also still playing on HBO Max, a much safer, cheaper alternative to the big screen experience right now.
Wonder Woman 1984 will remain on the streaming service for two more weeks before running in theaters for an exclusive thirty-day stretch. Interestingly, the trade points out the lack of official news on the movie's HBO Max performance, explaining that, "if there’s anything positive to report, we’ll hear about on the next AT&T earnings call. Still, if there was something awesome to shout out to the world about WW1984‘s success on HBO Max...we would have already heard about it."
Croods: A New Age was in second place with $1.8 million, and Monster Hunter sits at #4 with $1.1 million. Clearly, it's going to take a long time before the box office bounces back.
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at 10 Easter Eggs from Wonder Woman 1984!
10. The "Bialyian Dynasty"
Maxwell Lord heads to Cairo, Egypt, and offers Emir Said Bin Abydos anything he wishes for...in exchange for his oil. We learn that he wants nothing more than for the ancestral lands of the Bialyian dynasty to be returned to his family line, and this should mean a lot to fans of Black Adam.
In the DC Universe, Bialya was introduced in 1987's Justice League #2 as a militaristic state which has suffered for years thanks to tyrannical leaders (like the villainous Queen Bee).
Black Adam actually attacked Bialya when he was pursuing the man who murdered and wife and brother-in-law, and he killed millions during his mission. Needless to say, we wouldn't be remotely surprise if the upcoming movie starring Dwayne Johnson makes references to this fictional location!
9. The Original Steve Trevor
When Steve Trevor is brought back from the dead, he inhabits the body of a man played by Kristoffer Polaha. While both Diana Prince and the audience see Chris Pine's version of the character, his spirit is actually possessing someone else entirely (pretty weird when you think about it, right?).
Regardless, there's a good reason Polaha was chosen to play the other "Steve."
As director Patty Jenkins explains above, the actor's resemblance to Lyle Waggoner - who played Steve Trevor in the Wonder Woman TV series - was a deliberate inclusion for longtime fans.
8. "Beautiful Lie"
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice remains something of a divisive movie, with the "Martha" scene one moment, in particular, that's still hotly debated online among those who loved and hated it.
During both that and a flashback to a young Bruce Wayne attending his parents' funeral, a beautiful piece of music title "Beautiful Lie" played in the background. Composed by Hans Zimmer, it was hard to fault the composer's work regardless of what you thought about that story beat.
Oddly, the exact same track returns in Wonder Woman 1984 when Diana Prince is delivering her emotional message to the world. Was Zimmer being lazy or did it just fit the scene? Who knows!
7. Gorilla Grodd?
When Steve Trevor's watch comes back to life in Diana Prince's apartment, a book can be seen on the same shelf which is titled "The Natural Life of the Gorilla." So what, right?
Well, of all the books Wonder Woman could be reading, why that one? Honestly, we can't help but wonder (no pun intended) if the archaeologist has stumbled upon Gorilla City in her adventures, potentially crossing paths with Flash villain Gorilla Grodd and his occasional ally King Solovar.
It would be pretty cool to pay a visit to that city in the now confirmed threequel, that's for sure.
6. Simon Stagg
Upon gaining the powers of the Dreamstone, Maxwell Lord pays Simon Stagg and manages to exact his revenge on his former business associate. However, if the name rang a bell, it's because he's a recurring presence in the comics, most frequently as an antagonist to the heroic Metamorpho.
Stagg Industries managed to survive Lord's machinations because it was referenced in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and more specifically, the 2016 movie's marketing campaign.
In that, we learn that the company is best known for its chemistry and genetics industries, though it has several military defence contracts, the third largest such developer after LexCorp and Kord Industries, spending $628,000,000 annually. Clearly, someone decided that oil wasn't the way to go!
5. Duke of Deception
When the true nature of the Dreamstone is revealed, Wonder Woman mentions that the "Duke of Deception" is responsible for its creations. We don't learn much more than that, but it's clear that the magical artefact is tied to the ancient Gods this Diana Prince's origin story is connected to.
However, while the "Duke" is mentioned in a throwaway manner, he does have a comic book counterpart. A relatively minor villain, he's actually often been shown working with Ares and Circe.
The former obviously battled Wonder Woman in the 2017 movie, while Circe is a villain many fans are hoping will be part of Wonder Woman 3. Regardless, this is definitely a cool hidden detail.
4. Etta Candy
Lucy Davis did a great job playing Etta Candy in Wonder Woman. Unfortunately, the fact this sequel takes place so many decades after the events of that movie means she's no longer around.
On the plus side, one of the photographs in Diana Prince's apartment confirms that they stayed friends for years after Steve Trevor's demise, and even went on what appears to be a cruise together.
There are other nods there, with Chief Napi spotted at a wedding featuring everyone aside from Steve Trevor. Sadly, this also emphasises just how alone in the world Wonder Woman is now.
3. The Dreamstone
On the surface, the Dreamstome seems like a pretty terrible MacGuffin...and, well, it kind of is!
However, the name alone appears to be a pretty deep dive nod to DC Comics history, and more specifically, Neil Gaiman's Sandman, Morpheus. Also known there as Materioptikon, the Dreamstone looked quite a bit different, but still turn the user's dreams into a reality.
That's pretty much where the similarities end, unfortunately, and the origin stories of both artefacts appear to be very different. However, as Geoff Johns worked on the screenplay, this may be his doing!
2. The Invisible Jet
In Wonder Woman 1984, the Invisible Jet is just a regular jet that Diana Prince is able to turn invisible. This is a far cry from the comic books where it's been revealed that it can fly at 144,000mph!
While you might think the hero using her powers to turn the jet piloted by Steve Trevor invisible is a little silly, this is actually pretty in line with the source material. Unfortunately, it feels like this might be a one-time deal, especially as Wonder Woman ultimately gains the ability to fly here.
That likely means Diana won't be using her Invisible Jet to finally return home to Themyscira.
1. Lynda Carter Returns
In the movie's mid-credits scene, it's revealed that Asteria - the original owner of the Golden Eagle armour - is alive and well. As Diana Prince reveals, she stayed behind to buy her fellow Amazons the time they needed to flee to Themyscira and hide themselves from the world.
Sadly, that means she was forced to live a solitary life, though Wonder Woman appears to be under the impression she's died (especially as she only found her armour, and no sign of Asteria herself).
What this is teasing is hard to say, but the character is played by original Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter. Honestly, we just hope this is leading to her donning that Golden Eagle armour in Wonder Woman 3.