'Puss in Boots: The Last Wish' Claws Past $200 Million at the Global Box Office

DreamWorks keeps raking in the cash with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish as the new year gets into full swing. In this first week of 2023, the beloved sequel has now crossed $200 million at the global box office, becoming one of the animation studio's biggest films yet and one of the best-performing animation films since the pandemic began. Thanks to a number of factors, including the fact that last weekend's box office was hampered amidst New Year's celebrations, and school vacations were still ongoing, the film benefited from a strong overall hold, seeing a minimal drop in performance from last week.

Attachment 61329

Over the weekend, The Last Wish became one of just ten animated films to cross the $100 million mark internationally in the pandemic era. It currently sits with an overseas mark of $112 million, surpassing Disney's Lightyear in the process. This lands the film as the eighth highest-grossing MPA animation in the pandemic era and the third highest-grossing of DreamWorks' catalog, falling behind The Bad Guys and The Croods: A New Age. Worldwide, those two films are also the only films ahead of The Last Wish, but at $250.4 and $216 million respectively, both are within striking distance of Antonio Banderas's orange feline.

Moreover, The Last Wish added six new markets this weekend including Brazil, Korea, and Poland, giving it a further financial boost. At this point in its life cycle, it's ahead of the massively popular Sing 2 without factoring in China, and it even passed the lifetime gross of the Illumination sequel in 12 markets. For DreamWorks, it's a testament to both the enduring popularity of the extended Shrek franchise and the excellent word-of-mouth praise the film has received since its release. The marketing campaign certainly did wonders as well, including a stop on Sean Evans' popular YouTube interview show Hot Ones.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish Is a Major Win for DreamWorks

The Last Wish sees the adventurous Puss in Boots on his last life after years of swashbuckling and derring-do. In order to defy death and gain back the lives he lost, he goes on the adventure of a lifetime to find the titular Last Wish with the help of old and new friends alike. Banderas is rejoined by Salma Hayek who reprises her role as Kitty Softpaws while newcomer Harvey Guillén co-stars as the optimistic dog Perrito. Rounding out the star-studded cast are Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, Samson Kayo, John Mulaney, Wagner Moura, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and Anthony Mendez.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is still in theaters for anyone who hasn't yet seen the feline's beloved new adventure.