Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s “The Wild Robot” debuted at the top of the box office charts, earning an impressive $35 million from 3,962 theaters, exceeding initial expectations. In stark contrast, Francis Ford Coppola’s ambitious sci-fi film “Megalopolis” floundered in its opening weekend, generating a disappointing $4 million from 1,854 North American theaters.
The lackluster performance of “Megalopolis” fell short of projections, which estimated ticket sales between $5 million and $7 million. This disappointing outcome is particularly concerning given the film’s hefty $120 million budget. For context, Kevin Costner’s passion project “Horizon: An American Saga – Part One” managed to secure $11 million during its debut before concluding its run with $36 million globally, leading to a halt in plans for a sequel.
Poor word of mouth has plagued “Megalopolis,” which received a “D+” grade on CinemaScore. The film opened in sixth place, trailing behind three holdover titles and the Indian Telugu-language action film “Devara: Part 1.” Critics have offered mixed reviews, with The New York Times describing it as “wonderfully out-there” and the Associated Press finding it “nearly impossible to digest in a single, baffling viewing.”
“This was never destined to be a box office hit and is the very definition of a passion project,” remarked Paul Dergarabedian, senior analyst at Comscore. Despite its struggles, he noted that the film could still attract long-term interest among cinephiles.
Released by Lionsgate, “Megalopolis” was self-funded by Coppola, who bears the financial burden of distribution and marketing costs. The studio attempted to generate buzz with a trailer that featured quotes from critics who had previously dismissed Coppola’s earlier works, only to face backlash when Vulture magazine reported that these quotes were fabricated or generated by AI, prompting an apology and retraction from Lionsgate.
Set in a futuristic America, “Megalopolis” follows architect Adam Driver as he navigates conflicts with a corrupt mayor, played by Giancarlo Esposito, while attempting to rebuild the devastated metropolis of New Rome. The film also stars Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, and Laurence Fishburne.
In contrast, “The Wild Robot” boasts a budget of $78 million and aims for sustained success similar to other recent animated family films, such as Pixar’s “Elemental.” The film has garnered critical acclaim, scoring 98% on Rotten Tomatoes and an “A” on CinemaScore, suggesting a favorable outlook for its theatrical run.
“What a ridiculously satisfying opening weekend for ‘The Wild Robot,'” stated Jim Orr, Universal’s president of domestic distribution. “We brought in audiences of all ages, and the audience scores were off the charts.”
The film has already earned $18 million internationally, bringing its global total to $53 million. Featuring a voice cast led by Lupita Nyong’o, “The Wild Robot” tells the story of a robot named Roz, who forms a bond with an orphaned gosling after being stranded on a deserted island. Other voice talents include Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Mark Hamill, and Catherine O’Hara.
“The Wild Robot” pushed the previous box office champion, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” down to second place. Tim Burton’s sequel earned $16 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its domestic total to $250 million and global earnings to $373.3 million.
Paramount’s animated feature “Transformers One” dropped to third place with $9.3 million, reflecting a significant 63% decline from its debut. It has amassed $39.1 million domestically and $72 million globally against a $75 million production budget.
The Indian Telugu-language film “Devara: Part 1” opened in fourth place, collecting an estimated $6.7 million from 1,040 theaters. The action-packed narrative stars N. T. Rama Rao Jr. as a man who discovers his brother’s involvement in smuggling deadly weapons, turning them into adversaries.
Rounding out the top five is “Speak No Evil,” Universal and Blumhouse’s remake of a 2022 Danish horror thriller. The film earned $4.3 million in its third weekend, bringing its North American gross to $28 million and worldwide total to $57.7 million.
In limited release, Jason Reitman’s “Saturday Night,” which explores the lead-up to the inaugural “Saturday Night Live” episode, made $265,000 from five venues in New York and Los Angeles, translating to an impressive $53,000 per location. The film, featuring Gabriel LaBelle as Lorne Michaels, is set for nationwide release on October 11.
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