‘Wildwood’ Holds Steady in Weekend 3, but Laika’s $100M Gamble Still Faces a Steep Climb

Laika has never had it easy at the box office. The Portland-based studio is beloved by animation fans and critics alike, yet its movies have never really been big draws at the box office. That reputation hung over ‘Wildwood’ long before it reached theaters.

The stakes were unusually high this time. Directed by Travis Knight, the long-in-the-works stop-motion epic arrived with tracking that was far from encouraging, as early projections eyed a domestic debut between $5 million and $10 million. The film also carries a price tag that makes every dollar count.

Now the latest numbers are in, and they paint a picture of a movie that is refusing to disappear. ToonHive reports that ‘Wildwood’ has reached $47.5 million at the worldwide box office after earning $7 million in its third domestic weekend, a drop of just 22% from the previous frame. The domestic total now stands at $39.8 million, and the account notes the film carries a $100 million budget.

That budget figure is not a rumor. The film opened to a $12 million weekend against what Variety reported is an estimated $100 million budget, and the “Laika can’t sell tickets” takes came fast. Still, the opening was slightly better than many expected, since Laika surprised with a debut that had been tracking for a sub-$10 million opening.

The film debuted in third place, with a domestic opening of roughly $12.3 million and an international haul of about $2.8 million. Since then, it has been a story of small but steady gains. After eight days, the film had passed $20 million in North America, and distributor Fathom Entertainment had projected a second weekend of $7 million to $8 million.

Over Halloween weekend, a sleepy frame for theaters overall, the film held third place while adding screens, bringing its footprint to around 3,100 U.S. theaters. AP’s rankings had it at $7.5 million that weekend. That kept it in the mix with ‘Clayface’ and ‘You Can See Everything’ during a slow stretch.

Critics have certainly done their part. One report describes the film as sitting on a 99% Rotten Tomatoes score while its box office numbers fall short of blockbuster territory. That gap between acclaim and ticket sales is the central tension of the ‘Wildwood’ story.

There are small signs the audience is out there, though. Strong audience scores had offered hope for long legs from the very first weekend. In Portland, the studio’s hometown, the film sold out at indie theaters, and one theater manager said it was the busiest they had been in a long time.

The international picture is also widening. The film expanded into 36 new international markets over one weekend, bringing its release to 47 countries in total. That expansion helps explain why the worldwide number now sits comfortably above the domestic total.

Even so, the math remains daunting. A film with a $100 million budget generally needs to earn well beyond that figure worldwide just to break even once marketing and theater splits are factored in. At $47.5 million, ‘Wildwood’ has covered less than half of its production cost, and the holiday corridor is about to get crowded.

Context matters here, too. Laika’s earlier films like ‘ParaNorman’ and ‘The Boxtrolls’ also finished their runs at modest domestic totals, and several of them eventually found their audiences on home video and streaming. If ‘Wildwood’ follows that pattern, its legacy may be written long after its theatrical run ends.

For now, the 22% drop is the number to watch. It suggests word of mouth is doing real work, even if the opening was not strong enough to put the film in a comfortable spot. Whether that steady hold can carry ‘Wildwood’ much further past the $50 million mark will be the next big question for Laika and its fans.