They’re going to be studying this one for a while. LAIKA’sCoraline, which was originally released in 2009 to only moderate success, is breaking all sorts of records in its 15th anniversary re-release. The stop-motion film, directed by genre iconHenry Selickand based on a book byNeil Gaiman, was re-issued in theaters a couple of weeks ago, and has sincegenerated nearly $50 million worldwide, pushing past milestones that it would’ve only dreamed of in its original run.
With $113 million domestically and another $57 million from overseas markets, the film’scumulative global gross now stands at an excellent $170 million. For context,Coralineconcluded its original 2009 run with $75 million domestically and $124 million worldwide, againsta reported budget of $60 million. The film’s re-release numbers alone have contributed to over $45 million in global grosses. By comparison, the recent 25th anniversary re-release ofStar Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menacegenerated around $13 million domestically; the film’s 2012 3D re-release tapped out with $39 million, a number that theCoralinere-release will pass in a few days. In fact,Coraline’s re-release numbers alone amount to over twice what the recent filmBorderlandsgrossed a few weeks ago.
The year 2024 has been packed with re-issues like this — in addition toCoralineandThe Phantom Menace, the millennial hitsThe MummyandShrek 2were also re-launched in theaters, as were the eight live-action Spider-Man movies, andPeter Jackson’sThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy. But it’s safe to say that none of those titles have worked as well asCoraline. The movieopened to positive reviews upon its original release, and currently sits at a “fresh” 91% score on the review aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes. It also went on to be nominated at the Academy Awards in the Best Animated Feature category.
The Gothic Fantasy Film Set the Tone for LAIKA’s Future Works
Coralinefollows the ominous adventures of a young girl who discovers a creepy dimension hidden in the recesses of her new home. The film’s successful run helped LAIKA establish itself as an artisanal alternative to the biggest animation houses of that era — Pixar, DreamWorks, and Blue Sky. The studio garnered more acclaim and commercial success in the subsequent years, with films such asParaNorman,The Boxtrolls,Kubo and the Two Strings, andMissing Link. LAIKA will return after a gap of six years withWildwood, which is set for a 2025 release.
Selick last directed the similarly-toned stop-motion filmWendell & Wild, which was released on Netflix a couple of years ago. He’s said to beteaming up with Gaimanfor another project. Featuring the voices ofDakota Fanning,Teri Hatcher,Jennifer Saunders, andDawn French,Coralineis playing in theaters. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
