Andy Samberg Box Office Report Card: Every Animated Hit and Live-Action Flop Analyzed

HOLLYWOOD — When we talk about the theatrical math of a modern comedy star, Andy Samberg presents one of the most polarizing report cards in the industry. As of April 2026, his career is a tale of two very different realities: a voice-acting juggernaut with billions in the bank and a live-action lead who struggles to find a domestic foothold.

Today, the BingeTake desk is running the raw numbers on every major theatrical verdict from 1980 to 2026. While his voice roles in franchises like Hotel Transylvania and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs have generated over $517 million for the latter and massive billion-dollar hauls for the former, his solo live-action swings have often hit the theatrical wall.

Hot Rod: The Birth of a Cult Failure

Every box office analyst remembers the summer of 2007 for the wrong reasons when it comes to Hot Rod. Paramount Pictures put up a production budget of $25 million for the Samberg-led stunt comedy. The trade expectation was a modest breakout for the SNL star, but the reality was a cold shower.

The film opened to just $5.3 million in its first weekend. That is a disastrous per-theater average for a wide release. It eventually crawled to a domestic gross of just $14 million. The audience demographic was overwhelmingly young and male, but they simply did not show up in the numbers required to break even.

While the theatrical verdict was a definitive failure, the film’s afterlife on digital platforms and DVD is legendary. It has become a cult classic that likely turned a profit years later, but in 2007, the theater owners were bleeding.

The Animated Goldmine: Cloudy and Transylvania

If you want to see where the real money is, look at the animated ledger. In 2009, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs hit theaters with a $100 million budget. It didn’t just open; it maintained a steady hold that saw it gross $124.8 million domestically and $243 million worldwide.

The math got even better with the sequel in 2013. On a leaner $78 million budget, Cloudy 2 outgrossed its predecessor with a $274.3 million global tally.

This was an elite return on investment. Then came the Hotel Transylvania franchise, where Samberg voiced Jonathan. The first film alone pulled in $358 million against an $85 million budget. By the time we reached the mid-2020s, this franchise had cemented itself as a billion-dollar IP.

The audience demographic here was families, providing a rock-solid floor that Samberg’s live-action projects simply lack.

The Popstar Reality Check

In 2016, the trade desk saw what happens when a digital-first star tries to command a summer theatrical slot with a niche parody. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping was a masterpiece of marketing but a nightmare at the box office. With a $20 million production budget, the film earned a heartbreaking $9.5 million worldwide.

The domestic gross was just $9.6 million, which didn’t even cover the marketing and prints (P&A) spend. The audience reception was positive from those who actually saw it, but the general public stayed home. Why? Because the audience’s mood had shifted toward consuming this type of content on streaming.

The question for the studio was simple: Why pay $15 for a ticket to a mockumentary when you can wait three months and watch it on a laptop?

This film’s theatrical verdict was a disaster, regardless of its creative brilliance.

The 2020s Pivot: Streaming vs. Theatrical

By 2020, Samberg and his team seemed to understand the math. Palm Springs became the talk of the industry when it sold to Hulu for a record-breaking price at Sundance. Its theatrical rollout was essentially non-existent, grossing just $1.8 million in limited international territories.

As we move through 2024, 2025, and into 2026, the strategy has remained consistent. His appearance in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) as Ben Reilly added another massive global hit to his resume, continuing the trend of his voice being more bankable than his face in theaters.

Last year, in November 2025, Zootopia 2 hit theaters with Samberg in a key voice role.

While the exact weekend actuals for his specific character’s impact are not available, the film was a massive win for Disney, likely clearing the $800 million mark worldwide.

The Roses (2025): A Dark Comedy Test

One of the most interesting recent data points is the 2025 release of The Roses. Starring alongside Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman, this was Samberg’s big swing back into the live-action theatrical space. The trade estimates for the production budget were in the $40 million to $50 million range.

The domestic opening was a respectable $12 million. It didn’t break records, but it showed a decent jump from his previous solo outings. The audience demographic skewed older and more “prestige-focused.”

This indicates that Samberg’s theatrical viability is transitioning from the “silly stunt guy” to the “dark comedy ensemble player.” The domestic holds suggest it was a steady performer rather than a breakout hit.

BingeTake Verdict

Here is the take on Andy Samberg’s box office value.

If you are a studio head, you hire him for a voice role to guarantee a $300 million-plus global floor. He is a titan in the recording booth. However, as a live-action theatrical lead, the math still doesn’t quite add up for a $100 million wide release.

His audience lives on streaming. They love him on Brooklyn Nine-Nine and they love his Lonely Island shorts, but they are hesitant to leave the house for his live-action films.

Going forward, his lifetime domestic collection will continue to be carried by animated sequels and ensemble prestige pieces. His best bet is the “Hybrid Release”—a limited theatrical run followed by a massive streaming push.

Nitesh Mishra, Box Office Analyst