Olivia Colman’s Thrilling New Fairytale Officially Becomes a Box Office Sleeper Hit
Olivia Colman’s fantasy film *Wicker* earned $5.75 million in its opening weekend, placing fifth at the domestic box office despite competing against larger releases and playing in fewer cinemas. Its performance is described as a sleeper hit, while the contrast with *Street Fighter*’s steep second-weekend decline shows how audience response can reshape the box-office race.
Based on Ursula Wills’s short story *The Wicker Husband*, *Wicker* is an adult fairytale written and directed by Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson. Colman stars alongside Alexander Skarsgård, Peter Dinklage and Elizabeth Debicki; the film drew praise after its festival debut. *Street Fighter*, by comparison, fell 72% to $8.6 million in its second weekend, down from a $30 million opening.
In short
- *Wicker* opened with $5.75 million and ranked fifth.
- The film played in fewer cinemas than its top-ten rivals.
- *Street Fighter*’s takings dropped 72% in its second weekend.
Explained simply
Box-office rankings track how much films earn in cinemas, but a film’s opening position does not tell the whole story. A sleeper hit is a film that attracts more audience interest than its initial profile or release size might suggest.
Wicker is an adult fairytale adapted from Ursula Wills’s short story The Wicker Husband. It was written and directed by Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson, and stars Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård, Peter Dinklage and Elizabeth Debicki.
Films compete for audiences and cinema screens, and their takings can change sharply from week to week. Comparing a smaller release with a widely released film such as Street Fighter helps show why box-office performance is judged over time, as well as by a single weekend’s ranking.