“The Wild Robot” opens as the best-reviewed animated film of this decade

Topline

The new DreamWorks animated film “The Wild Robot” is expected to win the theatrical weekend against weak competition, potentially benefiting from stellar reviews that will make it the best-reviewed computer-animated film on Rotten Tomatoes released in the 2020s.

Important facts

How much will The Wild Robot make this weekend?

Several outlets, including The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, predicted that “The Wild Robot” will win at the weekend box office, with a projected gross of between $24 million and $30 million in domestic theaters. According to The Hollywood Reporter, some forecasters think it could top $30 million, but are holding back their predictions because another new animated film, “Transformers One,” fell short of projections last weekend, taking in $24.6 million -dollars brought in. The film is expected to dethrone “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” which has won the last three weekends in a row, as few blockbusters hit theaters this month.

tangent

Also hitting theaters this weekend is “Megalopolis,” Francis Ford Coppola's self-financed $120 million epic, which is expected to open with $5 million to $7 million, which The Hollywood Reporter says is a “financial disaster.” The dystopian drama was complicated by various controversies, including a pulled trailer that used fake quotes from critics, as well as allegations of conflict and inappropriate behavior by Coppola on set, which led to him suing Variety for defamation. The film polarized with critics, earning a 52% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and struggling to find a U.S. distributor after premiering at the Cannes Film Festival.

Important background

“The Wild Robot” stars Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o as the voice of the titular robot, with Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Stephanie Hsu, Catherine O'Hara and others in supporting roles. The film follows Nyong'o's character Roz, who is shipwrecked on a deserted island and develops relationships with the animals that live there.

What do critics say about the “Wild Robot”?

Adrian Horton, a critic for The Guardian, called The Wild Robot one of the “best animated films of the year” in a four-star review and predicted that it would be a front-runner for Best Animated Film at the Academy Awards becomes. Observer critic Emily Zemler also said that “the Oscar for Best Animated Film is The Wild Robot's to lose” and praised it as “deeply moving” and “beautifully crafted” with universal themes about the importance of finding community. Associated Press critic Mark Kennedy said “The Wild Robot” was not only this year's best animated film but perhaps “the best film of the year” overall, calling it an “absolute cinematic triumph” and a “soulful, sweet one.” -sad cartoon.” Journey.” In one of the film's only negative reviews, Wall Street Journal critic Kyle Smith said that “the script fails at its core” by leaving the audience indifferent to the fate of the titular robot and called the plot “strictly mechanical “.

Further reading

Box Office Preview: 'The Wild Robot,' 'Megalopolis' and the Pro-Donald Trump Documentary All Hit the Screen (The Hollywood Reporter)

Lupita Nyong'o brings her outsider experience to 'The Wild Robot' (NBC News)

“We screwed up”: Lionsgate pulls “Megalopolis” trailer with made-up critic quotes (Forbes)