Disney and Pixar’s ‘Onward’ debuted this weekend to $40 million, enough to lead the box office charts but still a somewhat disappointing start, given the studio’s near-flawless track record when it comes to animated fare. Internationally, the film brought in $28 million for a global tally of $68 million.
‘Onward,’ a fantastical adventure about two brothers (voice-over by Tom Holland and Chris Pratt), ranks among Pixar’s lowest opening weekend in modern times, joining 2015’s ‘The Good Dinosaur’ and it’s $39 million as a rare blemish for the Disney-owned company, known for producing hits such as ‘Inside Out,’ ‘Coco’ and ‘Up’. Pixar films typically cost $175 million to $200 million to produce – a huge sum that doesn’t include global marketing fees.
Directed by Dan Scanlon, ‘Onward’ received mostly positive reviews, though it didn’t welcome the kind of euphoric reception that greets most Pixar titles. Still, ‘Onward’ looks to benefit in the coming weeks as one of the few options for family audiences. It scored an “A-“ Cinema Score, signaling that moviegoers enjoyed the film.
“Pixar has earned an incredible reputation for delivering quality to audiences, and based on their response, they are being touched by it,” said Cathleen Taff, Disney’s president of global distribution. “We’re excited to see such good word-of-mouth. That bodes well for the life of its run in theaters.”
