Box Office: Bruce Willis' "Death Wish" Earns a Promising $13M

Forbes ^ | March 4, 2018 | Scott Mendelson

[PBRCat]

The other wide release this weekend is MGM’s Death Wish remake. The film was already delayed from Thanksgiving after the Vegas mass shooting and was lucky to not get delayed again after the latest mass-casualty school shooting just two weeks ago.

[D]irected by Eli Roth and starring Bruce Willis, the film earned brutal pre-release reviews even outside of the cultural/political considerations. Fair or not, it's going to be a long time before it's the "right" time for a movie like Death Wish, especially one that doesn't update its politics or its demographics beyond an angry white guy shooting bad guys of color. And while this one isn't actively political, it's also not very satirical or deconstructionist, offering less commentary than even the 1974 Michael Winner-directed original.

Truth be told, there are enough moments of quality (Vincent D’Onofrio and Dean Norris are terrific, and the notion of a trauma surgeon shooting bad guys on the side is interesting) to make me wish it was a good movie.

Regardless, I'd be curious to read Carnahan's original screenplay as there are nuggets of a good movie amid this otherwise disposable Saturday night rental. The $30 million production earned $13m over its debut weekend.

MGM will hope that the film can leg it to $30 million domestic, but it will have to depend on overseas (or a strong post-theatrical life) to actually make money from this questionable remake. The film scored a promising 3x weekend multiplier (+23% on Saturday) and snagged a B+ from CinemaScore. It played 57% male, 53% over 35-years old and 28% 25-34-years old. It played 57% Caucasian, 19% Hispanic, 13% African American and 11% Asian.

[PBRCat]

Not a bad film at all. Worth a look.

[LS]

Agree. First movie in 2 years where I didn’t say, “They could have cut 30 minutes out of that.”

[Blue Turtle]

Article refers to main character as ‘angry white guy’. Is this supposed to be a put down? Or has the racist insult become ok in our country? The media, music industry, financial services industry have ALL subscribed to the ‘white men’ our bad bad belief...which goes against everything MLK stood for and what our country stands for.

[Bryanw92]

>>Fair or not, it’s going to be a long time before it’s the “right” time for a movie like Death Wish, especially one that doesn’t update its politics or its demographics beyond an angry white guy shooting bad guys

In other words, remaking “Death Wish” with Samuel L Jackson would be edgy and brilliant.

[trebb]

In other words, remaking “Death Wish” with Samuel L Jackson would be edgy and brilliant.

They can all it Django Strikes Back - Again and Again....

[Dr. Scarpetta]

I would like to see it.

[ealgeone]

You know it would.

[Zhang Fei]

I thought the bad guys in the original films were largely white for the same reason that the period also featured (on film only) multi-ethnic youth gangs - political correctness before anyone came up with the label.

[Vermont Lt]

It was fun.

It is not going to win any Oscars. And it would have been better received if it did not premier in the middle of this anti gun crap.

But seeing bag guys get popped is always fun.

It is a popcorn movie. But that is what we need more of.

[Vermont Lt]

The lead character was a Trauma Surgeon. Not exactly Bubba from down in the militia.

People need to relax. I guess if he used a katana and lobbed off heads it would have been acceptable to the PC crowd.

[Zhang Fei]

I’ve watched all 5 of the original series. Does Willis measure up? I bet he does the same Moonlighting persona he’s been playing for decades.

[Jewbacca]

White guys have become honorary Jews.

You all are supposed to die quietly, just like us.

[Flick Lives]

Does Willis measure up? I bet he does the same Moonlighting persona he’s been playing for decades.

Don't mess with success.

[duckman]

Great movie and a great remake of the old Charles Bronson original. Worth seeing!

[Mark17]

Is this supposed to be a put down? Or has the racist insult become ok in our country?

Yes, and yes.

[wardamneagle]

You all are supposed to die quietly, just like us.

Oprah said something similar.

[fortes fortuna juvat]

>>Article refers to main character as ‘angry white guy’. Is this supposed to be a put down? Or has the racist insult become ok in our country? The media, music industry, financial services industry have ALL subscribed to the ‘white men’ our bad bad belief...which goes against everything MLK stood for and what our country stands for.<<

Forbes, like The Atlantic and many other magazines and journals, have become vehicles for the spread of anti-American propaganda. Garbage to be avoided as you would the NYT, Washington Post, etc.

[usconservative]

Not a bad film UNLESS you’re from Chicago/Chicago area where this film was supposed to take place (it was actually filmed in Montreal) and it gets every single Chicago reference WRONG.

[dennisw]

What is the Joe Bob Briggs score for car wrecks, flaming car wrecks and what is the body count?

[DAC21]

Meantime Red Sparrow with non MENSA Candidate Jenny Laurence pulled in a very disappointing 16.7 million on opening weekend. With a Production and Marketing budge of over 100 million, lots of luck. Even the middle school drop out knows she has been over exposed, and cannot bring a picture to profitability on her name alone. If not for franchise series like The Hunger Games and X Men she would have few hits especially in the last five years. She has decided to take a year off of making duds like Passenger, Mother and Red Sparrow and concentrate on “Democracy and stuff”