Remarkably, even after over 40 days of release, Universal’s The Wild Robot is still managing to retain a spot in the top five of the domestic box office list. This weekend, its seventh, the animated hit passed a new global milestone, despite having been made available on digital streaming platforms several weeks ago. But it has been observed that proven commercial hits are rarely derailed by a digital release, no matter how premature it may be. The Wild Robot opened modestly, but thanks to exceptionally positive reviews and audience response, has delivered strong performances week after week.
With around $130 million domestically and another $161 million from overseas markets, the film’s cumulative global haul now stands at $292 million. This is a terrific result for a film that cost only around $80 million to produce — this is the new standard for animated cinema, as compared to a few years ago, when studios would routinely spend upwards of $150 million on their animated projects. For example, each of DreamWorks post-pandemic hits — films such as Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and Kung Fu Panda 4 — were produced on budgets of below $100 million. More impressively, none of Illumination’s mega-hit blockbusters has cost more than $100 million to produce.
The Wild Robot has emerged as a modest hit in a year that has already produced two monumental animated blockbusters. Combined, Pixar’s Inside Out 2 and Illumination’s Despicable Me 4 grossed a total of over $2.5 billion worldwide. That being said, Paramount’s safe-sounding Transformers One bombed upon release, despite excellent reviews. Directed by Chris Sanders, The Wild Robot also earned rave reviews upon release, and holds a near-perfect 98% approval rating from both audiences and critics on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes.
Can ‘The Wild Robot’ Pass the $300 Million Mark Globally?
Pleased with the film’s performance, Universal swiftly green-lit a sequel as well. The Wild Robot is based on the books by Peter Brown, and follows a matronly robot who is stranded on a strange new planet where she forms bonds with the local wildlife. Featuring an eclectic voice cast that includes the likes of Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, and Bill Nighy, The Wild Robot is available to watch in theaters and at home. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
The Wild Robot is an animated drama film based on a series of books by Peter Brown. The adaptation is written and directed by Chris Sanders and stars Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, and Catherine O’Hara. The Wild Robot centers on a robot named Rozzum 7134, who becomes stranded on a deserted island and the guardian of a young orphan.