Summary
The Emoji Moviehas become a major hit on Netflix, despite its negative reputation. Directed by Tony Leondis,The EmojiMoviewas released in 2017 with a story that follows Gene (T.J. Miller), a multi-expressional emoji, as he embarks on an adventure to become a single-expression emoji. The film was famously lambasted by critics upon its release, and it currently has only a 6% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Now, however, data shared byNetflixreveals thatThe EmojiMovieis the fourth most-watched movie on the streamer globally for the week of August 12 – 18. The film has racked up an impressive 11.2 million hours viewed and 7.7 million views in total.The EmojiMoviebeats titles likeSaving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie(2024),Inside the Mind of a Dog(2024), andNight School(2018), but falls short of movies likeKingsman: The Golden Circle(2017),Kingsman: The Secret Service(2014), andThe Union(2024).
The Emoji Movie’s Reception & Streaming Success Explained
Why The Animated Film Is Finding Renewed Success
WhenThe Emoji Moviehit theaters, critics took issue with just about every part of it. Despite featuring the voice talents of actors like James Corden, Anna Faris, Maya Rudolph, Patrick Stewart, Jennifer Coolidge, Sofía Vergara, and Christina Aguilera,the movie was criticized for its nonsensical story, lack of humor, and for generally feeling like a cynical studio cash grab.The Emoji Movie, however, did fare somewhat better with general audiences, and it currently sports a 36% audience score (now called the Popcornmeter) onRotten Tomatoes.
The Emoji Moviewas written by Leondis, Eric Siegel, and Mike White. White is best known for creatingHBO’sThe White Lotus, but he’s also written films like2024’sDespicable Me 4, 2023’sMigration, 2017’sPitch Perfect 3, and 2003’sSchool of Rock.
This more generous audience response is reflected inThe Emoji Movie’s box office performance. Made on an estimated budget of $50 million, the film ended up grossing $217.8 million worldwide, making it an undeniable success. Though there may not be much to entertain adults inThe Emoji Movieas it falls short on a basic storytelling level, it’s likely that parents with younger children were a major driver of its success.
Engaging entire families remains a crucial ingredient to success for these types of animated films, both in terms of box office and streaming. As theDespicable MeandMinionsmoviesprove,mixed reviews from critics don’t always matter that much when it comes to animated family fare. Demographic data isn’t provided with Netflix’s top 10 list, butThe Emoji Moviecould be succeeding because it’s a harmless title that parents can throw on to entertain younger children.
The Emoji Movie
Cast
When their world is threatened to be deleted, Gene (TJ Miller) ventures off with Hi-5 (James Corden) and Jailbreak (Anna Faris) to save Textopolis and become an emoji with a single expression. Despite being critically panned, The Emoji Movie had a stacked supporting cast, including Maya Rudolph, Jennifer Coolidge, Patrick Stewart, Christina Aguilera, and Sofía Vergara, among others.
