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It was a WILD weekend at the BOT-office as THE WILD ROBOT soared past Hollywood handicappers’ estimates of how the new family film would perform.

A week earlier, robots short circuited at the multiplexes with Paramount/ Hasbro’s opening of TRANSFORMERS ONE to just $24.6M. This weekend Universal/Dreamworks Animation’s PG rated sci-fi adventure THE WILD ROBOT dazzled with $35M at 3,962 theatres ($8,834), well past insiders’ $20-25M expectations. WILD reportedly cost a modest $78M to produce. It’s worldwide cume is now $53.1M, per Comscore.

Directed by Chris Sanders (HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON), WILD’s voice stars include Lupita Nyong’o. Going into the weekend, it was tracking best for first choice with women under & over 25 (one point over norm each). That means moms bringing kids and buying lots of popcorn and candy. Rotten Tomatoes critics are cheering wildly at 98% and audiences are applauding at 98%.

WILD’s success is another reminder of moviegoing’s health to the Wall Street naysayers, who pushed Hollywood into streaming — and losing tons of money in return! All it takes for theatrical to work are movies like WILD that people want to see.

Driven by WILD, this weekend’s domestic marketplace totaled $89.6M, per Comscore Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian, up 6.8% from the prior weekend and up 3% vs. this time last year. Comscore’s year to date tally has 2024 at $6.31B, down 11% from $7.12B in 2023. The previous weekend, 2024 was down 12% vs. 2023.

Meanwhile, back at the multiplexes: WB/Plan B Entertainment’s BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE was #2 in weekend four with $16M (-38%), per Comscore. It reportedly cost $100M to produce and has done $250.1M domestic and $373.3M globally.

Paramount/Hasbro’s TRANSFORMERS ONE finished third in weekend two with $9.3M (-62%) at 3,970 theatres ($2,343). Produced reportedly for $75M, it’s done $39.2M domestic and $72M worldwide.

Lionsgate/American Zoetrope’s opening of writer/director Francis Ford Coppola R rated sci-fi drama MEGALOPOLIS opened #6 to $4M at 1,854 theatres ($2,157), missing projections for $5-7M. It’s tracking below norm for first choice with all demos. Rotten Tomatoes critics hate it at 49% and audiences are booing at 36%.

MEGALOPOLIS reportedly cost $120M to produce, which Coppola is said to have self-financed as well as putting in about $15M for marketing. Lionsgate is getting a distribution fee and won’t suffer from this tragic opening.

Next weekend (10/4) should keep exhibitors smiling as WB/DC’S R rated crime drama musical JOKER FOLIE À DEUX opens at about 4,000  theatres. It’s expected to kick off to $70M or more. DEUX’s tracking best for first choice with men under 25 (15 points over norm) and next best with men over 25 (11 points over norm). Rotten Tomatoes critics are just okay at 63%.