Posted on 10/13/2018 8:13:41 AM PDT by EdnaMode
Unless Saturday brings a course change, Universal's critically acclaimed astronaut drama First Man is headed for a muted domestic debut of $16.8 million after earning $5.9 million on Friday from 3,640 theaters. The hope is that the adult-skewing film will be buoyed by a long run throughout awards season.
Conversely, Sony's Venom and A Star Is Born continue to rock the October box office in their sophomore outings with a projected weekend haul of $30 million-plus and $28 million-plus after grossing $9.8 million and $8.5 million on Friday, respectively.
Reuniting Oscar-winning filmmaker Damien Chazelle with his La La Land star Ryan Gosling, First Man is a visceral retelling of Neil Armstrong's journey to the moon in 1969. Heading into the weekend, the biographical drama was tracking to open in the $18 million-$20 million range (some services had it slightly higher). Audiences liked the film less than critics, giving it a B+ CinemaScore.
It's not clear so far whether a dust-up over Chazalle's decision not to show the famous image of Armstrong planting the American flag on the moon is impacting the film, whose theater count includes Imax runs.
Comparisons to La La Land (2016) or Chazelle's Whiplash (2014) are tough, since both of those films debuted first in select cinemas. First Man, costing a gross $70 million to produce (and $60 million net), co-stars Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll and Lukas Haas.
One comp Universal is using internally is Ben Affleck's Oscar-winning Argo, which started off with $19.5 million in October 2012 and Bridge of Spies ($15.4 million). First Man is expected to be more of an adult-skewing title than space epics Gravity (2013) or The Martian (2015), which likewise launched in October, opening to $55.8 million and $54.3 million, respectively.
First Man looks to place No. 3 for the weekend, followed by Sony's new animated family pic Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween, voiced by Jack Black. Goosebumps 2, earning an estimated $4.8 million Friday from 3,521 locations, is now projected to open to $16 million.
20th Century Fox's period thriller Bad Times at the El Royale, another new title on the crowded marquee, is on course for a $7.8 million debut from 2,808 locations, despite relatively strong reviews and a star-studded cast that includes Dakota Johnson, Chris Hemsworth, Cynthia Erivo, Jeff Bridges, Jon Hamm and Nick Offerman.
El Royale earned a B- CinemaScore and Goosebumps 2, a B.
A slew of movies are also rolling out in select theaters at the specialty box office, including Sony Pictures Classics' The Happy Prince, directed by and starring Rupert Everett as Oscar Wilde; Roadside Attractions' The Oath, toplined by Tiffany Haddish and Ike Barinholtz; and Amazon Studios' father-son drama Beautiful Boy, starring Steve Carell and Timothee Chalamet.
Beautiful Boy, playing in four theaters in New York and Los Angeles, looks to post the top opening screen average of the year so far, or a projected $84,400.
Like First Man and A Star Is Born, Beautiful Boy made the rounds at the fall film festivals in hopes of whipping up awards attention. Ditto for Paul Greengrass' terrorist drama 22 July, which opened date-and-date on Wednesday on Netflix and in a smattering of theaters. Netflix doesn't report grosses.
I'm surprised the movie didn't include some bumbling scene of these difficulties as an 'America fail' type of thing. Says to me they didn't read the book as thoroughly as they want us to think.
“His Whiplash was a GREAT movie*
Yes it was, very intense. Loved J.K. Simmons in this and The Closer
They don’t read books, they read 3x5 plot ideas.
Me too. And say what you will about her she definitely has the voice.
Yes, I saw that commercial too and was surprised to see the still photo of the flag on the moons surface. Too late, we know what they did with the movie and why.
“..it was the exclamation of why they did not show is why I will not go see it!!!*
Yep, Gosling the Canadian quislings explanation for the no flag scene sealed the no deal for me.
Years ago they would have said Lady Gaga has “It”-—which was indefinable but when someone had it you sensed it.
.
Saw it last night. I was hoping for more of an Apollo 13 or Right Stuff kind of experience but this was the dark side of the moon landing story. In A13 and RS there is a sense of triumph and victory, overcoming the odds but in First Man there is none of that. Its dark, ponderous and a bit slow in spots with much focus given to Armstrongs deceased daughter.
In spots this is a thrilling film that almost puts you in the capsule with the astronauts so you can experience the sense of fear and feelings of doom but there is never a moment where u want to jump up and say heck ya!
Its a qualified miss for me.
True, if they read at all.
“Me too. And say what you will about her she definitely has the voice”
There are a ton of attractive talented Singers. I think Gaga has a head on her shoulders and new she needed some hook/shtick since she doesn't have classic good looks. Hence all the weird parading around on and off the stage with the oddball clothing and persona. It worked and the rest is history. Give her credit.
“knew”
I have to ask: what does “adult-skeweing” mean, both in general and in the context of this particular mavie??
This is Terrible!!, how in the world will Hollywood be able to continue their Jihad against America, the American people and the American way of life if we peasant subjects don’t mindlessly give them the financing they desperately need??
HOLLYWOOD HATES AMERICA AND YOU!!!
It earned an estimated $441,000 in limited theaters on opening day.
https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=daily&id=gosnell.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK2x_bnzwZU
She did a Barnes a Noble commercial with Tony Bennett that really surprised me. I didn’t know she could actually sing anything besides pop.
Gaga had a traditional Italian nose, but shes had surgery on it now.
She does have one hell of a voice. Im surprised Cooper has one too! Hes a good actor and he already has those mesmerizing eyes, isnt that enough? Lol. I saw him up very close once and I had never seen him act in anything and I recognized him from all the photos. Those are penetrating eyes.
Venom would be a teen skewing movie and Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween would be a child skewing movie.
Thank you! I knew a knowledgeable FReeper could tell me!
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