The most acclaimed animated film of 2026 is also one of the biggest box office failures of the year

One of the most acclaimed films of 2026 so far has also become arguably the biggest box office disappointment of the year. Laika is behind some of the best stop-motion animated films ever made, including “Coraline” and “Kubo and the Two Strings.” The studio’s latest effort, “Wildwood,” might well be considered the studio’s crowning achievement. Regardless, all the praise didn’t motivate enough people to see it in theaters on opening weekend.

Directed by Travis Knight, who previously directed “Kubo” as well as this year’s “Masters of the Universe,” “Wildwood” debuted to $12.2 million domestically. It was good enough for third place. He’s behind “You Can See Everything” as it continues to defy box office expectations with a $19.5 million second weekend, as well as DC’s R-rated “Clayface,” which took the top spot with $24 million.

In theory, Laika’s latest addition should have been able to serve as counterprogramming. And that’s kind of the case. The problem ? “Wildwood” had to overcome its big budget to become a box office success. With a reported price tag in the pre-market range of $100 million, an opening of this size won’t get the job done. It’s a real shame given the praise this film has received.

“Wildwood” focuses on the adventures of a young girl named Prue McKeel (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) as she travels to the forests outside of Portland to find her kidnapped little brother. It is based on the 2011 fantasy novel of the same name by writer Colin Meloy and artist Carson Ellis.

“Wildwood” is receiving the kind of reception most filmmakers can only dream of. As of this writing, it holds a 99% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes with 123 reviews counted. The stop-motion animated film also boasts an audience score of 97% as well as an excellent A CinemaScore.

Witney Seibold of /Film called “Wildwood” a “stunner” that “makes fantasy feel fresh again” in her review. He’s certainly not the only one praising Laika’s latest addition.

The good news is that these high ratings will help with word of mouth, meaning the film can be successful in the coming weeks. Still, with a $12 million opening, it would need record-breaking numbers and a lot of help from overseas audiences to become a true theatrical success. History, unfortunately, tells us that the dice are now very stacked against him, even though he is now definitely the favorite to win Best Animated Feature at the Oscars.

So why couldn’t Laika turn all that praise into more meaningful ticket sales during opening weekend? On the one hand, “Wildwood” differs from most American animated films in two main ways, in that it is rated PG13 and has a running time of 131 minutes. Most animated films made by Hollywood studios are produced with children in mind and last less than two hours. So the rating and length may have put off some viewers during what turned out to be a competitive weekend at the box office.

Beyond that, we’ve unfortunately found time and time again that praise doesn’t always put butts in seats. This can help, but it doesn’t always do so. Just look at “28 Years Later: The Temple of Bones,” “Tony” or many other films that critics loved this year but failed to hit theaters in large numbers. This happens all the time.

Laika has always been in a bit of a complicated situation as a studio. Generally speaking, stop-motion films are not as appealing to moviegoers as more standard animated films. At the same time, their production is very expensive and time-consuming. Indeed, the studio’s films have never enjoyed particularly significant success at the box office, which makes finances delicate.

“Coraline” is a beloved animated film that finally became a box office hit in 2024, 15 years after its original release. It grossed $188 million worldwide on a budget of $60 million, but only $127 million was generated in 2009. The film’s audience grew over time. Most of Laika’s other films haven’t been so lucky. “The Boxtrolls” ($108 million worldwide/$60 million budget), “Kubo and the Two Strings” ($76 million worldwide/$60 million budget) and “Missing Link” ($26 million worldwide/$100 million budget) were all disappointments, if not major failures.

Laika has produced animated box office bombs that deserve a second chance more than outright hits. This brings us back to “Wildwood.” It’s almost guaranteed that this film’s audience will increase over time in light of the acclaim, especially if it goes the distance at the Oscars. A lot of people will catch it on VOD and streaming, which will contribute a lot in terms of revenue. Will that be enough to make it a success?

It’s a steep hill to climb, at least in the short term. This might become “Coraline” complete but, at least for now, it’s yet another example of what is widely considered a masterpiece not getting its due from a financial standpoint, which is a real shame.

“Wildwood” is currently in theaters.