Sequel To Julia Roberts’ $315M Movie Gets Near-Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score

White Bird: A Wonder Story has received a near-perfect audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie acts as both a prequel and a sequel to Julia Roberts’ 2017 Wonder, based on the R.J. Palacio novel of the same name, which grossed $315 million at the worldwide box office. White Bird‘s story, based on Palacio’s White Bird graphic novel, follows Julian Albans (Bryce Gheisar) after he has been expelled from Beecher Prep and as he learns about the experiences that his grandmother (Helen Mirren) had as a Jewish girl in Nazi-occupied France.

Per Rotten Tomatoes, White Bird has a 99% audience score based on more than 250 verified ratings. The critical score is not as high, but it is still fresh, at 72%. Critics generally preferred Wonder to White Bird, with the 2017 movie receiving an 86% critical score. General audiences, on the other hand, overall prefer White Bird, as Wonder‘s audience score only reached 88%. White Bird‘s scores may change further as its theatrical run continues.

What This Means For White Bird

It Has Become A Surprise Hit

White Bird was released in several international markets in January 2024 and is now gaining more recognition following its U.S. theatrical release. Audience reviews praise White Bird‘s genuinely emotional story, the valuable lessons it teaches, visually appealing cinematography, and strong leading performances from Ariella Glaser and Orlando Schwerdt. While it is rated PG-13, the movie is described by many reviews as being accessible and important for young teenagers to see.

Even though White Bird does have a connection to the Wonder ending, this connection is not being touted as one of the 2024 movie’s greatest strengths. The Wonder connection is an entry point to the movie, but White Bird is mostly focused on its moving World War II-era story and the timeless lessons that Julian and the audience can take away from these experiences. These elements have enabled White Bird to become a surprise audience hit, and positive word of mouth may help it have greater longevity at the domestic box office.

Our Take On White Bird’s Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score

White Bird’s Success Goes Beyond Its Wonder Connection

It is impressive that even without Roberts and other Wonder actors, White Bird has resonated well with audiences. Even with its somewhat loose connection to Wonder, it is surprising that the movie did not receive more attention before its release. That makes it all the more impressive that it is now attracting more attention and an overwhelmingly positive response based more on its own merits than it being a Wonder prequel and sequel. White Bird could become even more memorable than Wonder if the new movie’s positive reception continues.

Could There Be More Wonder Movies?

There Are Other Books

White Bird is not the only Wonder spinoff book that Palacio has written, with the others being 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne’s Book of Precepts, We’re All Wonders, and Auggie and Me. 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne’s Book of Precepts focuses on the perspective of Wonder‘s English teacher, Mr. Browne, who was played by Daveed Diggs in the movie. The book features Mr. Browne’s precepts, along with conversations he had with Julian, Auggie, Jack Will, Summer, and other Wonder characters, all of which provide insight into the characters’ stories after Wonder‘s conclusion.

We’re All Wonders is essentially an illustrated children’s book adaptation of Wonder. As for Auggie and Me, the book is told from the perspectives of Julian, Christopher, and Auggie’s new friend, Charlotte, before Auggie’s school year at Beecher Prep begins. Despite having potential source material for new Wonder movies, none of these existing books are likely to receive film adaptations, even when taking White Bird‘s success into consideration.

For now, the
Wonder
movie franchise has ended with two distinct coming-of-age stories that have been embraced by audiences despite their considerable differences, with
White Bird: A Wonder Story



being a surprising, but meaningful way to expand the original story

The issue with the other books is that they either repeat Wonder‘s story in a different medium or their stories are too small to warrant a full-fledged movie adaptation. Another Wonder movie would require a more substantial story, whether it be a direct sequel, or a spinoff in the style of White Bird. For now, the Wonder movie franchise has ended with two distinct coming-of-age stories that have been embraced by audiences despite their considerable differences, with White Bird: A Wonder Story being a surprising, but meaningful way to expand the original story.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes