In a dramatic turn of events this weekend at the box office, Francis Ford Coppola’s long-anticipated epic ‘Megalopolis’ fell flat with audiences, while Chris Sanders’ ‘The Wild Robot’ took off to spectacular heights. The outcomes of these two high-profile releases shed light on the diverging dynamics of contemporary cinema.
DreamWorks Animation’s family-friendly feature ‘The Wild Robot’, directed by Chris Sanders and adapted from Peter Brown’s beloved bestseller, not only met but exceeded expectations, raking in $35 million in ticket sales across theaters in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates released on Sunday. This achievement cements ‘The Wild Robot’ at the pinnacle of the weekend box office.
Critics and audiences alike have lauded ‘The Wild Robot’, which tells the poignant story of a shipwrecked robot who forms a heartwarming bond with an orphaned gosling. The film received an A CinemaScore, indicating strong approval and a promising future for its run under Universal Pictures. Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst for Comscore, predicts that ‘The Wild Robot’ could follow a trajectory similar to that of Pixar’s ‘Elemental’. ‘Elemental’, released earlier, followed its respectable opening with sustained performance, ultimately grossing nearly $500 million globally.
The family movie genre has consistently powered this year’s box office, driven by massive hits such as ‘Inside Out 2’. David A. Gross, a film consultant and news publisher for Franchise Entertainment, anticipates that family films will reach an impressive $6 billion in global revenue by 2024, bringing figures back to pre-pandemic levels. ‘The Wild Robot’ seems set to contribute significantly to that total.
In stark contrast, Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis’, an ambitious and self-funded $120 million project exploring a Roman epic set in a contemporary New York, lagged with a mere $4 million debut. Despite its grand vision and the pedigree of its creator, ‘Megalopolis’ failed to resonate with critics and audiences, receiving a lukewarm D+ CinemaScore. Critics have offered mixed reviews following its premiere at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, and Coppola himself has admitted that financial success was never the primary goal.
“For me, ‘Megalopolis’ is a personal statement about human potential. Everyone’s so worried about money, but I say: Give me less money and more friends,” Coppola remarked in an interview with The Associated Press ahead of the film’s release.
Despite the lackluster box office performance, ‘Megalopolis’ found a distributor in Lionsgate, albeit for a fee, after other studios passed on it post-Cannes. Coppola absorbed the majority of its $15 million marketing costs. Notably, the film’s star-studded cast includes Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Aubrey Plaza, with about 200 IMAX locations contributing $1.8 million to its revenue.
While ‘Megalopolis’ struggled, the previous box office leader, Tim Burton’s ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’, was relegated to second place after three weeks on top. The Warner Bros. sequel to the 1988 classic brought in $16 million in its fourth weekend, accumulating a total of $250 million domestically.
.
Meanwhile, third place at the weekend box office went to ‘Transformers One’, a prequel in the popular franchise, featuring Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry. After an underwhelming start, it amassed $9.3 million over its second weekend.
Interestingly, ‘Megalopolis’ was also bested by ‘Devara: Part 1’, an action film from India’s Telugu-language cinema, which earned $5.1 million, securing the fourth spot.
Another notable release was ‘Saturday Night’, a dramatized depiction of the seminal night when the iconic NBC sketch-comedy show first aired in 1975. Directed by Jason Reitman, the film opened in five theaters in New York and Los Angeles, generating $265,000, averaging a robust $53,000 per theater. It is set for a nationwide rollout in two weeks, coinciding with the show’s 50th season.
The estimated ticket sales for the top performers from Friday through Sunday, according to Comscore, solidify the rankings as follows:
1. The Wild Robot – $35 million
2. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice – $16 million
3. Transformers One – $9.3 million
4. Devara: Part 1 – $5.1 million
5. Speak No Evil – $4.3 million
6. Megalopolis – $4 million
7. Deadpool & Wolverine – $2.7 million
8. My Old Ass – $2.2 million
9. Never Let Go – $2.2 million
10. The Substance – $1.8 million
As the weekend closed, the dramatic dichotomy between ‘The Wild Robot’s’ impressive ascent and ‘Megalopolis’s’ disheartening descent underscores the unpredictable nature of film reception, illuminating prevailing audience tastes and the ever-shifting landscape of modern cinema.
