Buddy (2026)
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| Theatrical Performance | ||
| Domestic Box Office | $21,291,635 | Details |
| OpusData ID: 757720100 More info... | ||
| Further financial details... | ||
Synopsis
Remember BUDDY—the bright orange unicorn and star of that classic childrens’ television show who brought joy and life lessons into your living room? Inside the colorful world of “It’s Buddy!”, a group of children spend their days singing, dancing, and helping Buddy spread happiness. But when one child refuses to play along, Buddy is not pleased and cracks begin to appear in this seemingly perfect world.
Metrics
| Opening Weekend: | $5,464,870 (25.7% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 3.67 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Production Budget: | $3,000,000 (worldwide box office is 7.1 times production budget) |
| Theater counts: | 1,277 opening theaters/1,771 max. theaters, 2.7 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $21,291,635 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | August 28th, 2026 (Wide) by Roadside Attractions |
| MPA Rating: | R for bloody violence, some drug content and language – all involving children. (Rating bulletin 2949 (cert #55816), 8/12/2026) |
| Running Time: | 95 minutes |
| Film festival: | Sundance Film Festival 2026 |
| Filming location (city or town): | Cleveland, OH |
| Plot point: | Escape, Faulty Memory, Missing Child, Murdered Child, Psychics, Trapped |
| Release detail: | Festival Acquisition |
| Social setting: | Supernatural, TV Industry |
| Subgenre: | Horror Comedy |
| Time period setting: | 1990s |
| Source: | Original Screenplay |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Science Fiction |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Low Spark Films, BoulderLight Pictures, Sipur Studios, Substance Productions, Saban Films, Roadside Attractions |
| Production Countries: | United States |
| Languages: | English |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 28, 2026 | 6 | $5,464,870 | 1,277 | $4,279 | $5,464,870 | 1 | |
| Sep 4, 2026 | 7 | $5,802,653 | +6% | 1,771 | $3,276 | $14,320,227 | 2 |
| Sep 11, 2026 | 6 | $3,524,387 | -39% | 1,720 | $2,049 | $21,291,635 | 3 |
Daily Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | %YD | %LW | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 27, 2026 | P | $527,000 | 0 | $527,000 | ||||
| Aug 28, 2026 | 6 | $2,193,068 | 1,277 | $1,717 | $2,193,068 | 1 | ||
| Aug 29, 2026 | 8 | $1,783,066 | -19% | 1,277 | $1,396 | $3,976,134 | 2 | |
| Aug 30, 2026 | 7 | $1,488,736 | -17% | 1,277 | $1,166 | $5,464,870 | 3 | |
| Aug 31, 2026 | 5 | $707,049 | -53% | 1,277 | $554 | $6,171,919 | 4 | |
| Sep 1, 2026 | 6 | $927,249 | +31% | 1,277 | $726 | $7,099,168 | 5 | |
| Sep 2, 2026 | 5 | $705,237 | -24% | 1,277 | $552 | $7,804,405 | 6 | |
| Sep 3, 2026 | 5 | $713,169 | +1% | 1,277 | $558 | $8,517,574 | 7 | |
| Sep 4, 2026 | 7 | $1,520,366 | +113% | -31% | 1,771 | $858 | $10,037,940 | 8 |
| Sep 5, 2026 | 7 | $2,083,082 | +37% | +17% | 1,771 | $1,176 | $12,121,022 | 9 |
| Sep 6, 2026 | 6 | $2,199,205 | +6% | +48% | 1,771 | $1,242 | $14,320,227 | 10 |
| Sep 7, 2026 | 6 | $1,605,282 | -27% | +127% | 1,771 | $906 | $15,925,509 | 11 |
| Sep 8, 2026 | 5 | $809,728 | -50% | -13% | 1,771 | $457 | $16,735,237 | 12 |
| Sep 9, 2026 | 5 | $563,699 | -30% | -20% | 1,771 | $318 | $17,298,936 | 13 |
| Sep 10, 2026 | 5 | $468,312 | -17% | -34% | 1,771 | $264 | $17,767,248 | 14 |
| Sep 11, 2026 | 7 | $981,667 | +110% | -35% | 1,720 | $571 | $18,748,915 | 15 |
| Sep 12, 2026 | 7 | $1,452,983 | +48% | -30% | 1,720 | $845 | $20,201,898 | 16 |
| Sep 13, 2026 | 6 | $1,089,737 | -25% | -50% | 1,720 | $634 | $21,291,635 | 17 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 28, 2026 | 6 | $8,517,574 | 1,277 | $6,670 | $8,517,574 | 1 | |
| Sep 4, 2026 | 6 | $9,249,674 | +9% | 1,771 | $5,223 | $17,767,248 | 2 |
Leading
| Cristin Milioti | Grace | |
| Delaney Quinn | Freddy | |
| Topher Grace | Ben |
Supporting
| Keegan-Michael Key | Buddy the Unicorn | |
| Michael Shannon | Charlie the Train / Willie | |
| Patton Oswalt | Strappy |
Production and Technical Credits
| Casper Kelly | Director | |
| Casper Kelly | Screenwriter | |
| Jamie King | Screenwriter | |
| Tyler Davidson | Producer | |
| Drew Sykes | Producer | |
| Raphael Margules | Producer | |
| J.D. Lifshitz | Producer | |
| Kevin Flanigan | Executive Producer | |
| Dexter Braff | Executive Producer | |
| Tracy Rosenblum | Executive Producer | |
| Roberto Linck | Executive Producer | |
| Nathan McAuley | Executive Producer | |
| Emilio Schenker | Executive Producer | |
| Gideon Tadmor | Executive Producer | |
| Adam J. Wilde | Executive Producer | |
| Geoff Yaw | Executive Producer | |
| Ryan J. Kelly | Executive Producer | |
| Zach Kuperstein | Cinematographer | |
| Josh Ethier | Editor | |
| Michael Yezerski | Composer |
Cast and crew with above-the-line roles are marked in bold. The line marks the division between above-the-line and below-the-line roles.
Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.
Synopsis
Remember BUDDY—the bright orange unicorn and star of that classic childrens’ television show who brought joy and life lessons into your living room? Inside the colorful world of “It’s Buddy!”, a group of children spend their days singing, dancing, and helping Buddy spread happiness. But when one child refuses to play along, Buddy is not pleased and cracks begin to appear in this seemingly perfect world.
Metrics
| Opening Weekend: | $5,464,870 (25.7% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 3.67 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Production Budget: | $3,000,000 (worldwide box office is 7.1 times production budget) |
| Theater counts: | 1,277 opening theaters/1,771 max. theaters, 2.7 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $21,291,635 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | August 28th, 2026 (Wide) by Roadside Attractions |
| MPA Rating: | R for bloody violence, some drug content and language – all involving children. (Rating bulletin 2949 (cert #55816), 8/12/2026) |
| Running Time: | 95 minutes |
| Film festival: | Sundance Film Festival 2026 |
| Filming location (city or town): | Cleveland, OH |
| Plot point: | Escape, Faulty Memory, Missing Child, Murdered Child, Psychics, Trapped |
| Release detail: | Festival Acquisition |
| Social setting: | Supernatural, TV Industry |
| Subgenre: | Horror Comedy |
| Time period setting: | 1990s |
| Source: | Original Screenplay |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Science Fiction |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Low Spark Films, BoulderLight Pictures, Sipur Studios, Substance Productions, Saban Films, Roadside Attractions |
| Production Countries: | United States |
| Languages: | English |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 28, 2026 | 6 | $5,464,870 | 1,277 | $4,279 | $5,464,870 | 1 | |
| Sep 4, 2026 | 7 | $5,802,653 | +6% | 1,771 | $3,276 | $14,320,227 | 2 |
| Sep 11, 2026 | 6 | $3,524,387 | -39% | 1,720 | $2,049 | $21,291,635 | 3 |
Daily Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | %YD | %LW | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 27, 2026 | P | $527,000 | 0 | $527,000 | ||||
| Aug 28, 2026 | 6 | $2,193,068 | 1,277 | $1,717 | $2,193,068 | 1 | ||
| Aug 29, 2026 | 8 | $1,783,066 | -19% | 1,277 | $1,396 | $3,976,134 | 2 | |
| Aug 30, 2026 | 7 | $1,488,736 | -17% | 1,277 | $1,166 | $5,464,870 | 3 | |
| Aug 31, 2026 | 5 | $707,049 | -53% | 1,277 | $554 | $6,171,919 | 4 | |
| Sep 1, 2026 | 6 | $927,249 | +31% | 1,277 | $726 | $7,099,168 | 5 | |
| Sep 2, 2026 | 5 | $705,237 | -24% | 1,277 | $552 | $7,804,405 | 6 | |
| Sep 3, 2026 | 5 | $713,169 | +1% | 1,277 | $558 | $8,517,574 | 7 | |
| Sep 4, 2026 | 7 | $1,520,366 | +113% | -31% | 1,771 | $858 | $10,037,940 | 8 |
| Sep 5, 2026 | 7 | $2,083,082 | +37% | +17% | 1,771 | $1,176 | $12,121,022 | 9 |
| Sep 6, 2026 | 6 | $2,199,205 | +6% | +48% | 1,771 | $1,242 | $14,320,227 | 10 |
| Sep 7, 2026 | 6 | $1,605,282 | -27% | +127% | 1,771 | $906 | $15,925,509 | 11 |
| Sep 8, 2026 | 5 | $809,728 | -50% | -13% | 1,771 | $457 | $16,735,237 | 12 |
| Sep 9, 2026 | 5 | $563,699 | -30% | -20% | 1,771 | $318 | $17,298,936 | 13 |
| Sep 10, 2026 | 5 | $468,312 | -17% | -34% | 1,771 | $264 | $17,767,248 | 14 |
| Sep 11, 2026 | 7 | $981,667 | +110% | -35% | 1,720 | $571 | $18,748,915 | 15 |
| Sep 12, 2026 | 7 | $1,452,983 | +48% | -30% | 1,720 | $845 | $20,201,898 | 16 |
| Sep 13, 2026 | 6 | $1,089,737 | -25% | -50% | 1,720 | $634 | $21,291,635 | 17 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 28, 2026 | 6 | $8,517,574 | 1,277 | $6,670 | $8,517,574 | 1 | |
| Sep 4, 2026 | 6 | $9,249,674 | +9% | 1,771 | $5,223 | $17,767,248 | 2 |
Leading
| Cristin Milioti | Grace | |
| Delaney Quinn | Freddy | |
| Topher Grace | Ben |
Supporting
| Keegan-Michael Key | Buddy the Unicorn | |
| Michael Shannon | Charlie the Train / Willie | |
| Patton Oswalt | Strappy |
Production and Technical Credits
| Casper Kelly | Director | |
| Casper Kelly | Screenwriter | |
| Jamie King | Screenwriter | |
| Tyler Davidson | Producer | |
| Drew Sykes | Producer | |
| Raphael Margules | Producer | |
| J.D. Lifshitz | Producer | |
| Kevin Flanigan | Executive Producer | |
| Dexter Braff | Executive Producer | |
| Tracy Rosenblum | Executive Producer | |
| Roberto Linck | Executive Producer | |
| Nathan McAuley | Executive Producer | |
| Emilio Schenker | Executive Producer | |
| Gideon Tadmor | Executive Producer | |
| Adam J. Wilde | Executive Producer | |
| Geoff Yaw | Executive Producer | |
| Ryan J. Kelly | Executive Producer | |
| Zach Kuperstein | Cinematographer | |
| Josh Ethier | Editor | |
| Michael Yezerski | Composer |
Cast and crew with above-the-line roles are marked in bold. The line marks the division between above-the-line and below-the-line roles.
Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.