Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi’s Wuthering Heights led Valentine’s Day audiences in North America, posting a strong Saturday and projecting a global launch of roughly $82 million—about $40 million domestically and $42 million from more than 75 overseas markets—while Sony Animation’s surprise hit GOAT threatened to erode its U.S. momentum over the four-day Presidents Day frame. Through Sunday the period three-day total for Wuthering Heights stood at $34.8 million, leaving it roughly $9.4 million short of a $40 million four-day target. Industry trackers had ranged widely in forecasts in the weeks before release, and the weekend’s mixed reviews and audience scores left the picture unexpectedly fluid. Other new releases—including Amazon MGM’s Crime 101 and Angel Studios’ Solo Mio—rounded out a shifting chart that could still change once Monday’s Presidents Day tallies are final.
Key Takeaways
- Wuthering Heights is estimated for an $82 million global opening: roughly $40 million domestic and $42 million from 75+ international markets.
- Through Sunday the film’s three-day weekend total was $34.8 million and it needs about $9.4 million on Monday to reach a $40 million four-day total.
- GOAT earned $26 million over the weekend and is estimated to add $7 million Monday for a projected four-day debut near $32 million and a $42 million worldwide start.
- Crime 101 is tracking to finish third with $17.8 million through Monday, including $15.1 million for the three-day weekend and $12 million overseas from 60 markets.
- Rotten Tomatoes critic scores are 63% for Wuthering Heights, 79% for GOAT and 86% for Crime 101; CinemaScore grades include a B for Wuthering Heights and an A for GOAT.
- Warners and partner MRC paid about $80 million for Wuthering Heights’ global rights, reportedly beating a larger $150 million offer from a streaming bidder.
- Studio strategies diverge: Warner targeted both younger viewers and older women for Wuthering Heights, while Sony’s GOAT benefited from near-perfect exit polling and family-friendly positioning.
Background
Wuthering Heights is director Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. Fennell—known for A Promising Young Woman and Saltburn—was positioned by Warners and MRC as an auteur-driven choice; the partners reportedly paid $80 million for global rights before releasing the film into theaters. The project arrived with high industry attention because Robbie has recently produced and starred in the global phenomenon Barbie, making this her first major studio lead since that release.
Pre-release tracking varied widely: some services forecasted as much as $50 million domestically while others were more conservative, reflecting mixed early reviews and audience polling. The film skews female in its audience makeup and carries an R rating, a combination that often narrows the pool of likely moviegoers. Meanwhile, Sony Animation’s GOAT—backed by Stephen Curry and inspired by a childhood tale—opened as an original family pic, a format that often brings steadier word-of-mouth and broader demographic appeal.
Main Event
On Saturday, Wuthering Heights generated $14.4 million in North America, giving it the single-day weekend lead and setting up the four-day projection near $40 million. By the close of Sunday the three-day total had reached $34.8 million, meaning the film needed roughly $9.4 million on Presidents Day to hit the studio’s $40 million benchmark. That gap made the film’s long weekend result sensitive to Monday’s holiday performance.
GOAT over-performed relative to many expectations: it posted $26 million for the weekend, with studios estimating an additional $7 million on Monday for a four-day debut of about $32 million. Overseas, GOAT opened to $15.6 million across 41 markets, bringing its global start to roughly $42 million. The animated title also secured an A CinemaScore and strong PostTrak exit polling—indicators of strong family word-of-mouth.
Crime 101, acquired by Amazon MGM for a reported $90 million-plus, found a date-night audience among older moviegoers. The ensemble noir pulled roughly $15.1 million over three days and was tracking to $17.8 million through Monday, with $12 million from 60 international markets. Angel Studios’ Solo Mio rounded out the top five with $6.4 million for the three-day weekend.
Analysis & Implications
Wuthering Heights’ weekend shows the limits and opportunities of auteur-driven studio releases: strong initial interest—especially from younger women—was undercut by mixed critic reviews, a B CinemaScore and exit polls that signaled the film might not have broad enough crossover appeal to hit loftier forecasts. The studio’s effort to recruit Gen Z and younger Millennials through targeted marketing appears to have paid dividends in that segment, but the older-female turnout the film also needs remained uncertain.
GOAT’s performance highlights how family originals can disrupt adult-skewing releases. With an A CinemaScore and near-perfect PostTrak, GOAT is positioned to enjoy steady legs through weekday showings and into family repeat viewings—factors that can close gaps with higher-profile adult titles. If GOAT sustains strong weekday business, it could finish ahead of Wuthering Heights over the four-day frame despite lower industry attention before release.
For Amazon MGM, Crime 101’s respectable start reframes the calculus around big acquisition prices and hybrid distribution models. Amazon paid about $90 million for theatrical and streaming rights; while that sum raised eyebrows, Amazon’s internal valuation includes streaming backend value that legacy studios typically exclude. The next weeks’ home-market performance and international sales will be crucial for recoupment calculations.
Comparison & Data
| Film | 3-day Weekend | 4-day Estimate | Overseas (markets) | Global Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wuthering Heights | $34.8M | ~$40M (needs $9.4M Monday) | $42M (75+ markets) | $82M |
| GOAT | $26M | ~$32M (est.) | $15.6M (41 markets) | $42M |
| Crime 101 | $15.1M | $17.8M (through Mon.) | $12M (60 markets) | — |
| Solo Mio | $6.4M | — | — | — |
The table above aggregates weekend and early four-day estimates for the top new releases. These figures reflect studio estimations and industry reporting through Sunday/Monday morning and do not account for final Monday updates. International footprints differ: Wuthering Heights launched broadly across 75+ markets while GOAT’s overseas opening came from 41 territories.
Reactions & Quotes
“Wuthering Heights opened to solid early interest but remains vulnerable to four-day volatility given mixed critic and audience scores.”
The Hollywood Reporter (entertainment press)
“GOAT’s audience grading and exit polling point to stronger-than-expected family legs, which can materially affect its final ranking.”
Sony Animation / Box Office Analysts (studio/industry commentary)
“Crime 101 connected with older demographics as a Valentine’s Day date-night option, helping its above-expectation start.”
Amazon MGM (studio/market observation)
Unconfirmed
- Reports that Netflix offered $150 million for Wuthering Heights are based on industry sourcing and remain unverified by all parties involved.
- Some tracking projections that predicted a $50 million domestic start for Wuthering Heights came from early models and may not reflect last-minute changes in sentiment or reviews.
- Final Monday (Presidents Day) grosses could materially alter four-day rankings; figures cited here reflect estimates and studio reporting available through Monday morning.
Bottom Line
The weekend illustrated a bifurcated marketplace: an auteur-driven adult romance with star power can open respectably but still be susceptible to mixed reviews and audience sentiment, while a family original with high audience marks can quietly threaten box office positioning. Wuthering Heights posted a notable global start projection of about $82 million, but its domestic four-day success hinged on holiday Monday results and turnout among older female moviegoers.
GOAT’s strong audience response underlines the persistent commercial value of family animation—even original, non-franchised titles—especially when they secure top audience grades and positive exit polling. For studios and streamers, the weekend reinforces that acquisition price and distribution strategy interact with theatrical performance in complex ways; final Monday updates and next-week hold will clarify whether initial estimates translate into durable box office outcomes.
Sources
- The Hollywood Reporter – Entertainment trade reporting and box office analysis (journalism).
- Rotten Tomatoes – Aggregated critic and audience scores for referenced films (industry data).
- Box Office Mojo – Weekend box office tallies and historical comparisons (box office database).