The box office summer season kicked off with Universal’s release of the Ryan Gosling-Emily Blunt action comedy “The Fall Guy.” Despite high expectations, the movie only managed to bring in $3.15M from showtimes starting at 5 p.m. and Wednesday advance screenings. The film is projected to earn around $35M to $40M by the end of the weekend. This less-than-stellar start can be attributed to delays in the release of feature films caused by strikes in the industry.
Universal showed great belief in “The Fall Guy,” premiering it at SXSW in Austin and holding a screening at CinemaCon for industry insiders. The movie has garnered positive reviews, boasting an 85% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The studio positioned the film as a throwback to action titles from the ’70s and ’80s, hoping to appeal to a wide audience. The presence of Ryan Gosling in the cast is expected to attract female viewers to theaters.
Sony/Screen Gems also released “Tarot,” a young-female-skewing film that was made for $8M. Despite a modest budget, the movie is only forecasted to earn $5M to $6M at the box office. On the other hand, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is being re-released by Disney to celebrate its 25th anniversary. The film will be shown in 2,600 theaters across the country, accompanied by an exclusive sneak peek of the upcoming Star Wars series “The Acolyte.”
In other box office news, Amazon MGM Studios’ “Challenger” directed by Luca Guadagnino, ended its first week with $21.8M. Lionsgate’s “Unsung Hero” follows closely behind with $10.1M, and Legendary/Warner Bros’ “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” grossed $9.1M in its fifth week. A24’s “Civil War” by Alex Garland brought in $9M in its third week.
The box office landscape is constantly changing, with each movie vying for audience attention and box office success. Despite the challenges faced by the industry, filmmakers and studios continue to release new and exciting films, hoping to capture the hearts of moviegoers worldwide.