‘Wild Robot’ Gains Popularity After Short Circuit ‘Megalopolis’

This photo released by Universal Pictures shows Roz, voiced by Lupita N’yongo, background, and Brightbill, voiced by Kit Connor, in a scene from DreamWorks Animation’s “Wild Robot.” (DreamWorks Animation/Universal Pictures via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — Francis Ford Coppola’s self-financed film has been decades in the making “Megalopolis” was popular with moviegoers, while the acclaimed DreamWorks Animation family film “Wild Robot” rose to first place in terms of weekend ticket sales.
“Wild Robot”, Chris Sanders’ adaptation of Peter Brown’s bestseller exceeded expectations with $35 million in ticket sales in U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday. “Wild Robot” performed well after critics raved about the survivor’s story about a robot who raises orphaned geese. Audiences agreed, giving the film an A CinemaScore. “Wild Robot” likely portends a long and lucrative run for Universal Pictures.

Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, predicts “Wild Robot” “can take a page from the ‘Elemental’ playbook by opening to decent cash and then looking towards long-term playability.” Pixar “Elemental,” that they like “Wild Robot” was not a sequel, it debuted with a modest $30 million but grossed almost $500 million worldwide. Family films with the biggest hit of the year “Inside Out 2” particularly influenced 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 “returned 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 any financial means, “Megalopolis” turned out to be 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.”

Studies transferred “Megalopolis” after Cannes. 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 Beetlejuice” it dropped to second place with $16 million in its fourth weekend of release. The sequel to the Warner Bros. film from 1988 “Beetlejuice” starring Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder, it grossed $250 million domestically within a month of its release. Third place went to “Transformers 1”, 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” it was even beaten by an Indian Telugu action film “Dewar: Part 1.” It grossed $5.1 million on its opening weekend, good enough for fourth place. Jason Reitman’s film also debuted in theaters “Saturday Night”, an emotional dramatization of the sketch comedy institution on the evening of its first broadcast in 1975. That same weekend, the NBC series began its 50th season, and Reitman’s film premiered in five theaters in New York and Los Angeles and grossed $265,000, good for the $53,000 per-theater average. “Saturday Night” within two weeks it will be distributed throughout the country. Friday through Sunday ticket sales are estimated at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final national data will be published today. 1. “Wild Robot”, $35 million. 2. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”, $16 million. 3. “Transformers 1”, $9.3 million. 4. “Dewar: Part 1” $5.1 million. 5. “Don’t say anything bad” $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.