Disney’s Pixar animal adventure “Hoppers” was No. 1 at the global box office with $88 million, an encouraging result for an original animated film. Meanwhile this weekend’s other new release, director Maggie Gyllenhaal’s R-rated “The Bride,” was D.O.A. with $13.6 million worldwide, a tragic start against its $90 million budget.
“Hoppers” generated $42 million overseas from 40 territories, as well as $46 million domestically. After struggling with non-franchise fare in recent years, “Hoppers” is primed to be Pixar’s first original hit in nearly a decade. This marks the largest debut for original animation since the studio’s 2017’s musical fantasy “Coco,” which became a powerhouse with $823 million by the end of its theatrical run. Given exceptional reviews and strong audience scores, box office watchers predict “Hoppers” will enjoy a long life in theaters.
Top overseas markets were the United Kingdom with $6.4 million, Mexico with $3.7 million, France with $3.6 million and Germany with $3.6 million. “Hoppers” has yet to open in key territories including China, Japan or Australia. Produced for $150 million, the PG-rated “Hoppers” follows an animal lover named Mabel, whose mind is transferred into a lifelike robotic beaver to communicate with fellow creatures and save their habitat from destruction.
“The Bride,” starring Jessie Buckley as the eponymous undead wife and Christian Bale as the Creature, opened to $6.3 million from 69 foreign territories as well as $7.3 million in North America. Those ticket sales were wildly off from Warner Bros. projections of $22 million overseas and $16 million to $18 million domestically. Even that wouldn’t have been a great start for “The Bride” considering it’s armed with a staggering budget and frighteningly bad audience scores. “The Bride” is expected to lose tens of millions in its theatrical run, snapping a winning streak for Warner Bros. after hits like “Sinners,” “Weapons” and “Wuthering Heights.”
Two holdovers, Paramount’s slasher sequel “Scream 7” and Sony’s animated “GOAT,” are nearing the $150 million mark.
“Scream 7″ added $15.6 million overseas in its second weekend of release, bringing its tally to $56.1 million internationally and $149.4 million worldwide. Despite mixed reviews, the film is on track to outpace the original 1996 “Scream” ($173 million) and 1997 sequel “Scream 2” ($172 million) as the highest-grossing installment in the long-running franchise.
“GOAT” trailed behind “The Bride” on international charts with $4.2 million in its fourth frame. The family film, about an animal who dreams of athletic greatness, has earned $62.5 million overseas and $146.3 million globally to date.
