Pixar released the first of its two offerings for the year this weekend, and while Onward managed to top the domestic and international box office charts, the Chris Pratt and Tom Holland-led animated adventure came in well below expectations.
As per studio estimates, Onward amassed $40 million domestically to dethrone Blumhouse’s The Invisible Man and top the North American chart in its opening weekend. It added a further $28 million from 47 international markets for a global opening of $68 million – down considerably on tracking estimates of $100 million.
Having received positive reviews and audience reactions, its clear that Onward has suffered as a result of the coronavirus; its releases in China, Italy and Korea have all been delayed, while other markets such as France have closed some cinemas amid fears over the spread of the virus.
Will this underperformance see other studios following MGM’s lead with No Time To Die and delaying their big tentpole releases? It certainly wouldn’t be a surprise at this point.
Set in a suburban fantasy world, Disney-Pixar’s Onward introduces two teenage elf brothers who embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if there is still a little magic left in the world.
Onward features a voice cast that includes Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Octavia Spencer.
