PUSS IN BOOTS Sequel is a Wish Come True for Audiences, Approaches $300M Worldwide
By Cooper Dowd
After one month in theaters, the Movieguide® Award-nominated adventure PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH clawed its way to the No. 2 spot at the box office, earning $11.5M over the Jan. 20 weekend.
The Dreamworks sequel to 2011’s PUSS IN BOOTS continues to outperform recent adult releases like MISSING (released Jan. 20, 2023) and M3GAN (released Jan. 6, 2023).
A portion of Movieguide®’s review reads:
In the animated movie PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH, Puss in Boots realizes he’s on his last life and needs to find the Last Wish star to ask for more lives. However, Puss isn’t the only one searching for the Last Wish. Goldilocks and the three bears and selfish Jack Horner are also looking. Puss teams up with a friendly, optimistic dog and Kitty Softpaws, whom he almost married. Kitty doesn’t trust Puss, though, because he’s been very selfish in the past. Will Puss overcome his selfish ways, win back Kitty and get the Last Wish?
Funny and exciting, PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH is well made, with interesting animation. The movie has a strong Christian, moral worldview where Puss in Boots must learn to be less selfish and egotistical, think of others above himself and realize he’s not invincible. Another character realizes the value of loving her family. THE LAST WISH also has a priest character and a reference to church. MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for younger children, because the Angel of Death and some other characters are scary.
Although analysts of the 2022 box office assumed that family-friendly movies no longer attract large audiences, PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH proves, once again, that content matters to families.
Read More: How Studios Failed Family Audiences in 2022
In 2022, Disney released movies like LIGHTYEAR and STRANG WORLD, which many expected would become tentpoles in animation for 2022.
However, audiences’ wallets told a different story.
Movieguide® previously reported:
Disney’s STRANGE WORLD is expected to lose $100M in its theatrical run after failing to attract families during the 5-day Thanksgiving weekend.
Disney neglected to take note of why LIGHTYEAR failed to take off with audiences, and made the same mistake with STRANGE WORLD, pandering to a small minority.
According to Variety, STRANGE WORLD would have to earn $360M to break even—a number that LIGHTYEAR fell short of in its worldwide earnings of $226M despite its established IP (intellectual property).
If Disney wants to retain their audience, they must reject their false assumption that inclusivity can substitute morality, or that sex can substitute for story.
As Disney continues its downward trend in animated features—TURNING RED, LIGHTYEAR, and now STRANGE WORLD—the company should listen to audiences around the country who agree with Movieguide®: the content that our children and families watch together, matters.
In contrast to flops like STRANGE WORLD and LIGHTYEAR, PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH is already ranked No. 94 on the list of all-time, top-grossing animated movies, according Box Office Mojo data.
In 2022, only one other animated movie performed better than PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH, MINIONS: RISE OF GRU which is ranked on the list as the No. 9 top-grossing animated movie.
The 2022 box office numbers show that audiences haven’t lost their appetite for animated, family-friendly movies. On the contrary, major studios like Walt Disney aren’t paying attention to what they are serving audiences.
Studios should return to moral, uplifting, and family-friendly content if they want to make a splash at the box office like PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH.
Read More: How Moral, Uplifting Movies Kept The Domestic Box Office Afloat, Again
