Universal’s action-romance film “The Fall Guy,” starring Ryan Gosling as a Hollywood stuntman who falls in love with a rising director played by Emily Blunt, had a modest start at the summer box office. On its opening day, the film earned $10.4 million from 4,002 locations, including $3 million from preview screenings. The movie is now expected to have a three-day opening of $28 million, falling short of industry projections that had predicted a debut in the low-to-mid 30s.
Universal’s hopes for a successful box office run with Ryan Gosling’s “Fall Guy” have fallen short. Despite Gosling’s popular presence and positive reviews for the action film, the movie has struggled to gain momentum since its premiere at the SXSW Festival. While the film’s $130 million production budget is not as high as other summer blockbusters, it still needs to make a significant amount to break even. Comparatively, “Fall Guy” faces a challenging task in matching the $30 million opening weekend of director David Leitch’s previous film, “Bullet Train,” which cost $40 million less to produce.
Releasing in the first weekend of May, “The Fall Guy” is also facing high expectations, as this is typically a coveted slot for major blockbusters, particularly from Marvel Studios. In the past, films like “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” have opened to impressive box office numbers of $187 million and $118 million respectively. Originally, “Deadpool & Wolverine” had planned to release on this weekend, but production delays resulting from last year’s strikes forced a change of plans.
Universal wasted no time in rescheduling “The Fall Guy” to capitalize on the summer blockbuster branding. However, if the film fails to surpass $30 million in its opening weekend, it may not live up to the expectations. Despite positive reviews and favorable reception from early ticket buyers (according to Cinema Score’s “A-” grade), the North American theatrical industry is already facing a significant revenue decline of nearly 20% compared to the previous year. This underwhelming start does not bode well for exhibitors, who rely on the summer season to be their busiest period.
In “The Fall Guy,” a television series from the 1980s, Ryan Gosling takes on the role of a skilled stuntman. He teams up with his former lover, played by Emily Blunt, who is now a director, to unravel a mysterious conspiracy surrounding the vanishing of a famous actor, portrayed by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. The talented cast also features Hannah Waddingham, Winston Duke, Stephanie Hsu, and Teresa Palmer.
Sony is set to release the horror play “Tarot” this weekend in 3,104 locations. Despite receiving negative reviews and a “C-” grade on Cinema Score, the Screen Gems film has managed to earn $2.5 million across Friday and preview screenings. With a PG-13 rating and a production budget of $8 million, “Tarot” is resonating with younger audiences and is expected to secure a fourth-place finish.
America continues to have a strong affinity for Gungans and droids, as evidenced by the success of Disney’s 25th anniversary re-release of “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace.” The film earned an impressive $2.4 million on Friday from 2,700 locations, putting it on track for a third-place finish for the weekend. It’s worth noting that today is “Star Wars” day, so the timing couldn’t be more perfect. Surpassing the performance of last year’s re-release of “Return of the Jedi,” which earned $4.6 million in its first three days, “The Phantom Menace” is proving to be a hit with fans once again. May the fourth be with you!
Amazon MGM’s “Challengers” continues to perform well in its second week, maintaining a strong hold at the box office. The tennis drama, centered around a love triangle, earned $2.5 million on Friday, showing a 59% decline from its opening day. Despite the drop, the film starring Zendaya is expected to achieve a domestic total of over $30 million by the end of the weekend.
In sixth weekend of its release, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” by Legendary Entertainment secures the fifth position. The movie, distributed by Warner Bros., is expected to earn an additional $4.2 million, bringing its domestic total to a remarkable $187 million. With this, it is likely to surpass Universal’s “Kung Fu Panda 4” and become the second-highest grossing North American release of the year.
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