Anna Daniels
Compared to Toy Story 4‘s record-setting franchise opening and other high-earning Pixar films like The Incredibles 2 and Finding Nemo, Onward‘s opening weekend may have been disappointing, but its box office isn’t unsalvagable.
With little competition in the way of family-focused releases and spring break right around the corner, it’s quite possible that the animated quest’s theatrical run can get back on track. Films like Disney’s Zootopia and Dreamworks’ How to Train Your Dragon both defied earning trends, racking up revenue over time despite less-than-perfect debuts. This kind of turnaround is rare, but not impossible.
There’s also the word-of-mouth effect, which has been known to sink a few films when the buzz is negative but will probably be a boost for Onward in light of the flick’s A- Cinemascore and 96 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Disney’s president of global distribution Cathleen Taff swent so far as to say that the entertainment megalith is “excited to see such good word-of-mouth,” as it “bodes well for the life of its run in theaters” (via Variety).
This may end up being crucial to Pixar making back what it spent on the film, considering that it has already opened in around 60 percent of its overseas markets, and only managed an estimated $28 million internationally, according to Box Office Mojo. There’s still plenty of global territories where the film hasn’t yet opened, but several of those that remain include Korea, Italy, and Japan — all countries dealing with major coronavirus concerns and quarantines.
Written by: Looper
