As the summer season kicks off, the box office numbers for the highly anticipated Ryan Gosling-Emily Blunt action comedy, The Fall Guy, are not as impressive as expected. The movie made $3.15M from showtimes starting at 5 p.m. and Wednesday advance screenings, with projections indicating a weekend total of around $35M to $40M. This lackluster performance can be attributed to the delays caused by strikes in the film industry, pushing back the release dates of many big-budget productions.
Originally scheduled for a March 1 release, Universal decided to shift The Fall Guy to this past weekend due to the reshuffling of the summer movie schedule. The decision came after Disney and Marvel Studios announced the delayed release of Deadpool & Wolverine to the end of July, now considered the official start of the summer movie season. Despite the studio’s high hopes for the film, its timing may have been off, missing the mark for a successful summer kickoff.
Old-School Appeal and Positive Reviews
The Fall Guy brings a nostalgic touch to the big screen, reminiscent of action titles from the ’70s and ’80s that were popular in the heartland of America. The movie’s insider Hollywood vibe combined with a throwback sensibility has garnered positive reviews, boasting an 85% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. With a production budget of $130M before marketing costs, The Fall Guy is showing in 4,002 theaters, including premium large format and IMAX screenings, in hopes of attracting a broad audience.
In contrast to The Fall Guy, Sony/Screen Gems’ Tarot, aimed at a young female audience, is struggling to make a mark at the box office. The film, made for $8M, is projected to bring in only $5M-$6M for its opening weekend, with lackluster reviews contributing to its poor performance. Additionally, Amazon MGM Studios’ Challengers and Lionsgate’s Unsung Hero are seeing modest returns, with challengers ending its first week with $21.8M, while unsung hero sits at $10.1M.
Re-Releases and Anniversaries
This weekend also sees the re-release of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace from Disney to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the prequel. The film will be shown in 2,600 theaters, including premium large format and specialty motion D-Box/4D screens, with solid advance ticket sales. The re-release will include a sneak peek of the upcoming Star Wars series, The Acolyte, to generate excitement among fans.
Legendary/Warner Bros’ Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, and A24’s Civil War maintain their hold at the box office, contributing to the weekend’s overall revenue. The industry will be closely watching how these movies perform in the coming weeks as the summer movie season gains momentum.
The box office landscape for summer movies is off to a slow start, with high expectations for big-budget releases falling short. The success of The Fall Guy remains uncertain, while other films struggle to find their audience amidst stiff competition. As the industry navigates challenges, it will be interesting to see how the upcoming releases fare in the ever-evolving movie market.
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