“Megalopolis” flops, “Wild Robot” grows at the box office

JAKE COYLE – AP Film Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Francis Ford Coppola’s decades-in-the-making, self-financed epic “Megalopolis” has been a hit with moviegoers, and DreamWorks Animation’s acclaimed family film “The Wild Robot” climbed to No. 1 in ticket sales over the weekend .

“The Wild Robot,” Chris Sanders’ adaptation of the Peter Brown bestseller, exceeded expectations with $35 million in ticket sales at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday. “Wild Robot” was expected to be a success after critics raved about the story of a shipwreck who raises orphaned geese. Audiences agreed, giving the film an A CinemaScore. “Wild Robot” likely promises a long and lucrative run for Universal Pictures.

Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, predicts that “Wild Robot” “could turn over to the other side of the ‘Elemental’ playbook by opening to decent box office sales and then looking toward long-term playability.” Pixar’s “Elemental,” which like “Wild Robot” was not a sequel, debuted with a modest $30 million but grossed nearly $500 million worldwide.

Family films, led by the biggest hit of the year “Inside Out 2”, especially increased ticket sales this year. David A. Gross, a film consultant who publishes a newsletter for Franchise Entertainment, said the genre is expected to reach $6 billion worldwide in 2024, which he noted is “getting back to pre-pandemic levels.”

Megalopolis, Coppola’s vision of a Roman epic set in contemporary New York, was never expected to reach such heights. But the film’s $4 million debut was still a sobering result for a film that Coppola put up $120 million of his own money for. After premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, Coppola’s first film in 13 years received mixed reviews. Audiences gave it a D+ CinemaScore.

By every financial measure, “Megalopolis” was a mega flop. But from the beginning, Coppola, 85, maintained that money was not his concern. Coppola created the film, which he began working on in the late 1970s, as a grand personal statement about human possibility.

“Everyone is so worried about money,” Coppola told The Associated Press in an interview before the film’s release. “I say: give me less money and give me more friends.”

After Cannes, studios passed on “Megalopolis.” Ultimately, Lionsgate decided to distribute it for a fee. Coppola also covered most of the $15 million in marketing costs. The film, which stars Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel and Aubrey Plaza, also played in approximately 200 IMAX locations and had $1.8 million in ticket sales.

After three weeks at the top of the box office, Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice” dropped to second place with $16 million in its fourth weekend of release. The sequel to the Warner Bros. film 1988’s “Beetlejuice,” starring Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder, grossed $250 million domestically within a month of its release.

Third place went to “Transformers One,” a Transformers prequel starring Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry. After a worse-than-expected debut last weekend, the Paramount release earned $9.3 million in its second weekend.

‘Megalopolis’ was even beaten by the Indian Telugu action film ‘Devara: Part 1’. It grossed $5.1 million on its opening weekend, good enough for fourth place.

Also debuting in theaters was Jason Reitman’s “Saturday Night,” an emotional staging of the sketch comedy institution that premiered on opening night in 1975. That same weekend, the NBC series began its 50th season, and Reitman’s film premiered in five New York cities and Los Angeles theaters and grossed $265,000, good for a high average of $53,000 per theater. “Saturday Night” will premiere nationwide in two weeks.

Friday through Sunday ticket sales are estimated at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final national data will be published on Monday.

1. “Wild Robot” – $35 million.
2. “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 and Wolverine” – $2.7 million.
8. “My Old Ass” – $2.2 million.
9. “Never Let Go” – $2.2 million.
10. “Substance” – $1.8 million.

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