DreamWorks’ Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is soaring high at the box office as it is expected to cross the $400 million mark over the weekend. The animated film earned a worldwide box office of $393.7 million, even surpassing Warner Bro’s Black Adam at $392 million.
Box office analyst Gitesh Pandya said that Puss in Boots: The Last Wish has become the third animated film from Universal Pictures released during the pandemic to cross $150 million at the domestic box office. There is also an evident comparison between DreamWorks and Disney/Pixar films, the former being more profitable than the latter, at least during the pandemic era.
DreamWorks’ Puss In Boots: The Last Wish Beats Disney Movies
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish has been praised by critics and fans for its storytelling and animation. The beloved tale that viewers cherished since the original spin-off Puss in Boots (2011) is helmed by Shrek director Chris Miller, with Guillermo del Toro as executive producer. Antonio Banderas reprised his character as Puss, with Salma Hayek as his partner, Kitty Softpaws.
The popularity of the character had a great impact on the movie’s reviews and ratings, as proved by its 86% score on Rotten Tomatoes. It has not been a great period for most Disney movies as their pandemic-era-released titles, such as Strange World, Lightyear, and Turning Red, all flopped and cost the studio a huge loss.
These Pixar films are strangely new concepts to audiences, and it might be the reason why they performed poorly at the box office. Puss in Boots has that spark of childhood wonder that reignited viewers’ memory core. It is also a matter of timing, as these films were released during the “delayed box office recovery” period.
DreamWorks’ Puss in Boots: The Last Wish landed in theaters after the public, as well as theaters, have finally recovered from a long-time hiatus, opening to 72 regions worldwide. Word of mouth also played a huge part in attracting viewers. The animated film competed against James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water and surprisingly was not overshadowed by the success of the blockbuster franchise.
Puss In Boots Remains An All-Time Favorite Franchise
The critical and commercial success of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish saw an improvement in the animation style, and this is what other studios should watch out for. Nate Richard from Collider said in his review:
“Nothing in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish feels lazy, it more than justifies the long wait. It is not only one of the best-animated films of the year, but it’s one of DreamWorks’ best, and one that will strike a chord with moviegoers of all ages.”
Along with many other positive reviews, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish offers an exciting adventure created for all ages. The audience’s sustained interest in the franchise is a very intriguing yet riveting study of how the familiarity of characters and storylines could also be an advantage in filmmaking.
