The Wild Robot, a new family film from DreamWorks Animation and Universal, has emerged as a box office success, charming both critics and audiences alike. The animated feature boasts an impressive 98 per cent critics and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes and an A CinemaScore, signalling strong viewer satisfaction.
In its opening weekend, The Wild Robot topped the box office charts with a US$35 million domestic haul, complemented by US$18 million from international markets, bringing its global total to US$53 million. This strong performance has come amidst a competitive season for animated films and marks a significant success for Universal and DreamWorks.
Based on Peter Brown’s beloved book series and featuring the voice talents of Lupita Nyong’o, The Wild Robot is directed by Chris Sanders, known for his work on Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon. The film draws inspiration from the works of Hayao Miyazaki and was produced with a budget under US$80 million, a common figure for post-pandemic animated films.
Despite the robust market for animations, with recent box office successes like The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Despicable Me 4, The Wild Robot stands out with its critical acclaim and audience approval, positioning it as a potential Oscar contender for next year.
Meanwhile, Paramount/Hasbro’s Transformers One brought in US$16.6 million internationally, totalling US$72 million globally, while Beetlejuice Beetlejuice continued to perform well overseas, adding US$13.6 million for a global total of US$373.3 million.
Amidst these, Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis faced a tough reception. The film, starring Adam Driver and Aubrey Plaza among others, debuted at only US$4 million in North American markets and received a poor D+ CinemaScore, reflecting significant audience dissatisfaction. This comes after major studios declined to finance or distribute the US$120 million project, which has been criticised since its early screenings and its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.
Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, games, and comics — you name it. When she’s not reading or geeking out about the latest shows on Netflix, she’s probably playing gacha and tabletop games, or daydreaming of meeting her idols.
