The Timotheé Chalamet-led prequel Wonda maintained its position at the top spot after the first weekend of January 2024. Wonka pulled in $14.0 million at the domestic box office from January 5-7. Meanwhile, the new release Night Swim, which was met with a poor critical reception, pulled in $11.7 million for its opening weekend. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom raked in $10.6 million while Migration and Anyone But You rounded out the top five with $9.9 million and $9.7 million, respectively.

North American cinemas will hope to build on what was a solid 2023. Some of the top box office hits included Barbie, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and Oppenheimer. Fortunately, there are some exciting films on tap for 2024 that should provide a significant draw at the box office in the United States and Canada.

Perhaps the most highly anticipated film of 2024 is the follow-up to 2019’s Joker, which generated $1.07 billion at the global box office. With a budget that ranged between $55-70 million, that made Joker one of the most profitable superhero films of all time. Joker: Folie á Deux is the sequel that is set for its 2024 release. It will see Joaquin Phoenix reprise the titular role, while Lady Gaga will co-star as Harley Quinn. The movie will be a musical, which will make for an interesting gamble.

Other top film releases in 2024 include Gladiator 2, the sequel to the best picture winner in 2001, Twisters, another sequel to a film that is over two decades old, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, and Deadpool 3. This lineup is encouraging for AMC Entertainment (NYSE:AMC), which hopes to see more optimism after its stock was throttled in 2023.