It has been a tough few weeks at the box office for DreamWorks Animation's Forgotten Island. The original animated fantasy film has steadily been losing screens in North America, and after its fourth weekend in theaters, it is now playing in more than 1,400 fewer locations than it was at its widest point.
According to box office data from The Numbers, Forgotten Island was showing in 2,149 theaters across North America this past weekend (October 16th through October 18th). The count is down from 2,898 theaters the weekend before, and from a peak of 3,555 theaters during its second weekend in early October.
How Forgotten Island Has Performed So Far
Forgotten Island opened in North America on September 25th through Universal Pictures, debuting in 3,548 theaters with $13 million. That put it in fifth place for its opening weekend, which is a soft start for a major animated release.
The weekends that followed have shown a steady decline:
- Weekend 1 (September 25th): $13 million from 3,548 theaters.
- Weekend 2 (October 2nd): $7.2 million from 3,555 theaters, down 45%.
- Weekend 3 (October 9th): $4.7 million from 2,898 theaters, down 35%.
- Weekend 4 (October 16th): $2.35 million from 2,149 theaters, down 50%.
The film slipped to 10th place this past weekend, and its domestic total now sits at roughly $35.4 million through Monday (October 19th). Add in about $25.8 million from international markets, and the worldwide total comes to around $61.1 million.
The worldwide total is still short of the film's reported $80 million production budget, and that number does not include marketing costs. With the film playing in fewer theaters every week, it is becoming hard to see how it will reach that mark from its theatrical run alone.
Critics And Audiences Love It
What makes the box office numbers sting is just how well the movie has been received. Forgotten Island currently holds a 94% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes from 126 reviews, along with a 95% verified audience score.
The film comes from Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, who wrote and directed it, along with producer Mark Swift. The trio previously teamed up on Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, one of DreamWorks' most acclaimed films in recent years.
The story follows Jo and Raissa, two lifelong best friends who are about to go their separate ways after high school. While celebrating their last night together, they stumble through a portal to Nakali, an island full of magical creatures from the Filipino stories they grew up hearing. When they learn that the price of returning home is every memory of their friendship, they have to find another way out before they forget each other for good.
H.E.R. and Liza Soberano lead the voice cast as Jo and Raissa, with Dave Franco as the weredog Raww and Lea Salonga as the Manananggal. The cast also includes Jenny Slate, Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy, and Ronny Chieng.
Still Rolling Out Overseas
There is still some life left for the film internationally. Forgotten Island only just opened in the United Kingdom on October 16th, earning about $1.7 million in its first weekend there. It also opened in several other markets over the last week, including Hungary, Romania, and Saudi Arabia.
The Philippines has been one of its stronger markets so far, which makes sense given the film's Filipino setting and folklore, with roughly $3.9 million earned there. Australia has contributed close to $5 million.
For fans who have not caught it yet, now is the time to see it on the big screen, since it will likely be in even fewer theaters by the time November arrives.
Do you think Forgotten Island will find a bigger audience once it hits streaming, or will its box office struggles make DreamWorks more cautious about original films?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.