Get ready to throw the confetti. The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act has received a promising box office forecast. Also known as TADC: The Last Act or simply The Last Act, this theatrical production between indie animation studio Glitch and distributor Fathom Entertainment has already turned heads with its surprising presales. The Amazing Digital Circus is one of the most popular animation series on YouTube, garnering over 1 billion views between its first eight episodes. The grand finale, Episode 9, will be an hour long, twice the size of a typical episode, and is slated to drop on YouTube and Netflix on June 19. But TADC fans can watch it early by attending special screenings of The Last Act, which combines episodes 8 and 9 together, starting on June 4 in theaters around the world.
TADC: The Last Act has already broken records for Fathom Entertainment
An early box office prediction for The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act has it earning $10 million in its domestic opening weekend from June 4 to June 7.
This projection comes from BoxOfficeTheory, which admits that the movie has effectively come out of nowhere as it was “on virtually no industry radars until very recently.” Its May 8 report notes that the film’s pre-sales “have been robust, to say the least,” and that this finale is expected to be particularly front-loaded. That isn’t too much of a surprise given that it has limited brand awareness outside of its niche fanbase and because the last episode will be available for free online two weeks after its theatrical debut (Glitch explained this two-week gap on X amid some fan backlash). In that way, the movie can be compared to concert films, like the Billie Eilish picture Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour.
To put this $10 million prediction into context, it is higher than the projected domestic openers for many other movies releasing soon. This includes In The Grey’s $5.5 million, I Love Boosters’ $4 million, and Passenger’s $6 million. It matches the $10 million projection for the horror film Obsession, which is the first major feature film from YouTube star Curry Barker. In fact, if TADC: The Last Act is able to live up to its current box office projection, it will further cement the YouTube-to-movie pipeline alongside Obsession, Markiplier’s Iron Lung, and Kane Pixels’ Backrooms that is expected to be surprise box office hit.
As reported by IndieWire, The Amazing Digital Circus movie has surpassed $7.5 million in presales after already breaking presale records for Fathom Entertainment back in April. The number of US theaters that will carry the film has expanded from 900 to 2,100 since then. The distributor, which is known for creating special movie events like the upcoming 4K re-release of Rocky and Studio Ghibli Fest, has created collectibles for the finale including a popcorn bucket and beverage cup.
That said, the film is releasing during a busy summer schedule and will need to compete with The Mandalorian & Grogu (May 22), Backrooms (May 29), Masters of the Universe (June 5), and Scary Movie 6 (June 5). However, its June 4 release date is still well-placed since Toy Story 5 comes out on June 19, a movie that will likely take over the family-friendly animated space, let alone the majority of the showtime market share.
The synopsis of The Last Act reveals that the remaining members of the circus will finally learn the truth behind the curtain: “With Caine gone and the circus dark, the cast are left with only the mistakes and traumas of their pasts to keep them company. As the prospect of eternity closes in around them, they discover the truth about the Digital Circus and its history.”
