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Critically Praised Forgotten Island Opens to Weak Box Office

Strong reviews have not translated to ticket sales, leaving the studio to rely on streaming windows and downstream revenue to recover costs.

Overview

  • Forgotten Island opened to an estimated $12.8 million in North America and $7.8 million overseas for a roughly $20.6 million global start, which opened Sept. 25 and put the film fifth at the domestic box office.
  • Critics and audiences have responded strongly to the film’s storytelling and Filipino-rooted worldbuilding, with aggregate scores near 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and high audience ratings.
  • The movie was made on a reported production budget of about $80 million excluding marketing, a gap that makes this early box office performance a difficult starting point for recouping costs.
  • Industry coverage projects a streaming rollout under Universal’s output pipeline with an estimated Peacock window in early 2027 and a Netflix window around May 2027, though those dates are reported estimates subject to the studio’s scheduling.
  • Director Januel Mercado has said a sequel remains possible and industry observers note that downstream demand on PVOD and streaming will likely determine whether Forgotten Island becomes a franchise or follows the recent pattern of original animated films struggling in theaters.