As a long-time movie enthusiast who has witnessed the evolution of the industry, I must say that this week’s box office results are quite intriguing. The pack, a recent release, is off to a promising start, outperforming some more recent studio productions like Walt Dohrn’s Trolls Band Together and Pierre Perifel’s The Bad Guys. It’s refreshing to see newcomers making their mark amidst the sea of familiar titles.
2024 has been a remarkable year for animated films at the box office, with several highly anticipated releases making a significant impact. Among them are Mike Mitchell’s “Kung Fu Panda 4”, Mark Dindal’s “The Garfield Movie”, Kelsey Mann’s “Inside Out 2”, and Chris Renaud’s “Despicable Me 4”. These films from the major Hollywood animation studios have secured positions in the global Top 20 for this year. Notably, Josh Cooley’s “Transformers One” is steadily climbing up the ranks.
The latest weekend results are in, and The Wild Robot has become the first title in September 2024 to win a box office crown not titled “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” Check out the full Top 10 below and then join me after for analysis.
The Wild Robot Is 2024’s Latest Animated Wonder, And It’s Off To A Good Start At The Box Office
Some responses to this year’s most popular animated films have been tinged with a bit of controversy, such as questioning if the Kung Fu Panda and Despicable Me series are starting to lose momentum or critics criticizing Inside Out 2 for not living up to its incredible original, but The Wild Robot has largely avoided this kind of divisiveness. Early reactions to the film were shared earlier this month after its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, and since then, the overwhelming affection for the movie hasn’t waned (I gave it 4.5 stars in my TopMob review).
2024 saw “The Wild Robot” being hailed as the top-notch animated film by numerous critics, and this acclaim significantly contributed to its success at the box office, following its initial release in cinemas.
Based on recent figures, “The Wild Robot” raked in approximately $35 million during its first three days, placing it as the 15th highest opening weekend of the year so far. This new film falls between Fede Álvarez’s “Alien: Romulus,” which brought in $42 million in its initial three days, and John Krasinski’s “IF,” which made $33.7 million. Notably, it had a stronger opening than “The Garfield Movie,” which managed only $24 million when launched over Memorial Day weekend, and eventually grossed a total of $255.3 million worldwide during its entire theatrical run.
In this movie review section, it’s worth noting that The Wild Robot is unique among this year’s big-name animated films because it isn’t a sequel or based on an old franchise. Instead, it’s garnering tremendous positive feedback from viewers and critics alike. This word-of-mouth buzz could give the film staying power as we move further into fall.
Worldwide, the movie’s success is only beginning to simmer. Over the weekend, it earned $35 million within the U.S., and an additional $18.1 million from international sales. As a result, its worldwide earnings have reached a total of $53.1 million so far.
In the realm of DreamWorks Animation opening weekends, I found myself right smack in the middle (twenty-fourth out of 49 films), but here’s the kicker: unlike a few more recent titles from the studio like Walt Dohrn’s Trolls Band Together from 2023 and Pierre Perifel’s The Bad Guys, I had a stronger debut. That’s something to brag about as a game character!
Moving forward, there won’t be many films targeting the same audience during its release, as October’s horror movies and comic book titles such as Todd Philips’ Joker: Folie à Deux and Kelly Marcel’s Venom: The Last Dance are primarily designed for older viewers. Therefore, this weekend’s top-ranked film should have a clear path to success ahead of it.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Moves To Second Place To Close Out September
Without “The Wild Robot” gracing the screens, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” by Tim Burton might have claimed four consecutive box office victories in September. However, things didn’t quite turn out that way, as it only managed to secure the second spot in the Top 10 earnings during the last three days, bringing in $16 million. Nevertheless, the movie is still raking in impressive figures and solidifying its position as one of the most successful theatrical releases of 2024.
The newest film has earned more than a quarter of a billion dollars within the U.S., and it’s still climbing. At this rate, it could soon overtake Lee Isaac Chung’s Twisters, currently in sixth position on the 2024 box office chart, needing just around $18 million more to do so. As for whether it will surpass Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two (which grossed a whopping $282.1 million in the U.S. and Canada), only time will tell.
Globally, the much-anticipated follow-up to “Beetlejuice” has amassed a staggering $373.3 million. It’s rapidly approaching the Top 10 for the year, but to secure that spot, it must conclude its cinematic run with earnings exceeding $400 million.
Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis Has A Soft Opening, Debuting In Sixth Place
Despite the triumphs in this week’s box office, Francis Ford Coppola’s personally financed film Megalopolis underperformed significantly. This long-in-the-making production boasts a talented cast that includes Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Aubrey Plaza, and Laurence Fishburne. However, the intense polarization of opinions that followed its screening at the Cannes Film Festival earlier in the year seemed to hinder its ability to fully cash in on its potential audience appeal.
According to Variety, the movie “Megalopolis” was budgeted at an impressive $120 million. However, during its domestic release this weekend, it only earned $4 million across 1,854 screens. It’s possible that the film could find success on home video due to its unique perspective from a highly regarded director (as indicated by TopMob’s 2.5-star review), but it seems unlikely that it will be a box office hit in cinemas.
Over the upcoming weekend, prepare for an intriguing experience as “Joker: Folie à Deux” hits theaters. You might recall that it’s a sequel to a critically acclaimed and financially successful film from late 2019, but responses at the Venice Film Festival were quite diverse. With its anticipated impact on the Top 10 box office charts, stay tuned for my next column on TopMob next Sunday. In the meantime, check out our 2024 Movie Release Calendar to find out about all the major releases coming up before the end of this year!
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2024-09-29 22:07