NEW YORK (AP) — Francis Ford Coppola’s decades-in-the-making, self-financed epic “Megalopolis” flopped with moviegoers, while the acclaimed DreamWorks Animation family film “The Wild Robot” soared to No. 1 at the weekend box office.
“The Wild Robot,” Chris Sanders’ adaptation of Peter Brown’s bestseller, outperformed expectations to launch with $35 million in ticket sales in U.S. and Canada theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday. “Wild Robot” was poised to do well after critics raved about the story of a shipwrecked robot who raises an orphan gosling. Audiences agreed, giving the film an A CinemaScore. “Wild Robot” is likely set up a long and lucrative run for the Universal Pictures release.
Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore, predicts “The Wild Robot” “may take a page from the ‘Elemental' playbook by opening to respectable box office and then looking toward long-term playability.” Pixar's “Elemental," which like “The Wild Robot" wasn't a sequel, debuted with a modest $30 million but went on to gross nearly $500 million worldwide.
Family movies, led by the year's biggest hit in “Inside Out 2,” have particularly powered the box office this year. David A. Gross, a film consultant who publishes a newsletter for Franchise Entertainment, said the genre should reach $6 billion worldwide in 2024 — which, he noted, "is back to pre-pandemic levels.”
“Megalopolis,” Coppola’s vision of a Roman epic set in modern-day New York, was never expected to perform close to that level. But the film’s $4 million debut was still sobering for a movie that Coppola bankrolled himself for $120 million. Following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, critics have been mixed on Coppola’s first film in 13 years. Audiences gave in a D+ CinemaScore.
By any financial measure, “Megalopolis” was a mega-flop. But from the start, the 85-year-old Coppola maintained money wasn’t his concern. Coppola fashioned the film, which he first began developing in the late 1970s, as a grand personal statement about human possibility.
“Everyone’s so worried about money,” Coppola told The Associated Press in an interview ahead of the film’s release. “I say: Give me less money and give me more friends.”
Studios passed on “Megalopolis” after Cannes. Lionsgate ultimately stepped forward to distribute it, for a fee. Coppola also picked up the tab for most of its $15 million in marketing costs. The film, which stars Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel and Aubrey Plaza, also played in about 200 IMAX locations, which accounted for $1.8 million of its ticket sales.
After three weeks atop the box office, Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” slid to second place with $16 million in its fourth weekend of release. The Warner Bros. sequel to the 1988 “Beetlejuice,” starring Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder, has amassed $250 million domestically in a month of release.
Third place went to “Transformers One,” the Transformers prequel starring Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry. After its lower-than expected debut last weekend, the Paramount release collected $9.3 million on its second weekend.
“Megalopolis” was even bested by the Indian Telugu-language action film “Devara: Part 1.” It grossed $5.1 million in its opening weekend, good enough for fourth place.
Also debuting in theaters was Jason Reitman’s “Saturday Night,” an affectionate dramatization of the sketch-comedy institution on the night it first aired in 1975. On the same weekend the NBC series began its 50th season, Reitman’s movie launched in five New York and Los Angeles theaters and collected $265,000, good for a strong $53,000 per-theater average. “Saturday Night” goes nationwide in two weeks.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “The Wild Robot,” $35 million.
2. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice," $16 million.
3. “Transformers One," $9.3 million.
4. “Devara: Part 1," $5.1 million.
5. “Speak No Evil," $4.3 million.
6. “Megalopolis," $4 million.
7. “Deadpool & Wolverine," $2.7 million.
8. “My Old Ass," $2.2 million.
9. “Never Let Go," $2.2 million.
10. “The Substance," $1.8 million.
Aubrey Plaza, from left, Francis Ford Coppola, and Nathalie Emmanuel attend the premiere of "Megalopolis" on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at AMC Lincoln Square in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
This image released by Universal Pictures shows Roz, voiced by Lupita N'yongo, left, and Brightbill, voiced by Kit Connor, in a scene from DreamWorks Animation's "Wild Robot." (DreamWorks Animation/Universal Pictures via AP)
SEATTLE (AP) — Brandon Mountour had the fastest goal in NHL overtime history, scoring his second goal of the game four seconds into overtime to give the Seattle Kraken a 5-4 comeback victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night.
Chandler Stephenson won the faceoff, with the puck going to Montour. He streaked in on goalie Jakub Dobes and beat him with a shot to the upper-right corner.
The goal matches the fastest to start any period in NHL history, with three players doing it in regulation. Claude Provost scored at four seconds of the second period for Montreal in a 1957 game against Boston, Denis Savard did it for Chicago against Hartford in the third period of a 1986 game, and James van Riemsdyk did it at the start of the second for Toronto against Philadelphia in 2014.
Seattle overcame two-goal deficit to tie it in the third period. Jani Nyman, making his NHL debut, scored on a power play with 9:07 left, and Matty Beniers tipped in a hard shot by Vince Dunn on a power play with 2:12 left to tie it at 4.
Montour also opened the scoring 4:14 into the game and had two assists. Eeli Tolvanan scored his career-high 19th for Seattle, and Joey Daccord made 21 saves.
Montreal scored four straight goals to take a 4-2 lead. Juraj Slafkovsky scored twice and Patrik Laine and Alex Newhook also connected. Dubes made 30 saves.
Canadiens: With his second goal of the game, Slaflovsky became just the second player in Canadiens history to reach 100 career points at age 20. He is 20 years, 347 days. Mario Tremblay, reached that mark in 1976-77 at 20 years, 164 days.
Kraken: Nyman, who has 26 goals for Coachella Valley in the American Hockey League, is the second Kraken player to score in his NHL debut. Tye Kartye did it in a 2023 first-round playoff game against Colorado in Denver.
With the Kraken on the power play in the third period, Jordan Eberle gained control of the puck behind the Montreal net. He found Nyman, who was wide open just outside the top right corner of the blue paint, and he drilled it into the back corner.
Montour broke a tie with Dunn (2022-23) for Kraken record for goals in a season by a defenseman with 15.
The Kraken host Utah on Friday night. The Canadiens host Florida on Saturday night.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Seattle Kraken right wing Jani Nyman high-fives mascot Buoy after a 5-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens in an NHL hockey game Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord celebrates after a 5-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens in overtime in an NHL hockey game Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers, center, celebrates scoring with defenseman Brandon Montour (62) and right wing Jani Nyman, second from left, as Montreal Canadiens center Christian Dvorak (28) looks on during the third period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Montreal Canadiens left wing Juraj Slafkovsky (20) greets teammates, including defenseman Mike Matheson (8) after scoring against the Seattle Kraken during the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Montreal Canadiens left wing Juraj Slafkovsky, second from left, celebrates his goal against the Seattle Kraken with teammates Cole Caufield (13) and Nick Suzuki (14) as Kraken right wing Eeli Tolvanen, right, looks away during the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Kraken right wing Eeli Tolvanen (20) celebrates his goal against the Montreal Canadiens with center Chandler Stephenson (9) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki (14) grabs Seattle Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn (29) as officials try to separate players from both teams after Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson collided with Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes, far left, during the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj (72) fights with Seattle Kraken right wing Jordan Eberle (7) and defenseman Adam Larsson (6) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour (62) reacts to scoring as Montreal Canadiens center Alex Newhook (15) looks down during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour (62) reacts to scoring to win 5-4 in overtime as Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson (48) and goaltender Jakub Dobes (75) react in an NHL hockey game Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
