DreamWorks Animation/Universal’s Wild Robot is bracing for an average start at the domestic box office despite scoring rave reviews. The film based on Peter Brown’s New York Times bestseller has a 98% certified fresh rating on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.
Early predictions for Wild Robot, voiced by Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o, indicated it was gearing up to topple Paramount’s animated flick Transformers One in the box office chart in the opening weekend. Paramount’s Transformers One opened in Theaters on September 20, 2024, debuting in second place with a $24.6 million start.
Wild Robot was tracking to earn anywhere between $20 Million to $40 Million in the opening weekend (via Box Office Theory). According to Deadline, DreamWorks animated film is now looking to match the debut numbers of Transformers One.
The film is on track to rake in over $20 million at the opening weekend, putting it on level with Paramount’s Transformers One, which opened to $24 million. This is considered an average start for a DreamWorks film, which scored a fresh 98% grade on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Christopher Sanders-directed film, which had a production budget of $70 million, received glowing reviews from 53 critics on Rotten Tomatoes. New York Magazine said, “With The Wild Robot, Sanders has found another way to create a visual dissonance that almost subconsciously insinuates its way into our brains and feeds the central idea of the film. And it’s hypnotic.”
DreamWorks animation films can still become a blockbuster hit despite the average start. The studio’s 2022 release Puss In Boots: The Last Wish opened at $12 million but went on to gross $418 million worldwide against a production budget of $90–110 million. The film also has a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Note: Box office numbers are based on estimates and various sources. Numbers have not been independently verified by Koimoi.
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