In new release news that isn’t Deadpool 2, Paramount/Viacom Inc.’s Book Club pulled an okay $4.73 million on its first day of release. The adult-skewing comedy, about four older women (Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen) who rediscover their sexuality via exposure to 50 Shades of Grey, cost just $10m to produce. So, in that sense its likely $13.375m Fri-Sun debut isn’t too bad.
The hope is that older audiences will slowly make their way to the theaters over the next month. It’s the kind of movie that plays to demographics that don’t necessarily race out to the theaters on opening weekend. They may have also stayed in to watch the Royal Wedding coverage.
data-param-cid="62cec241-7d09-4462-afc2-f72f8d8ef40a"
data-player-id="44f947fb-a5ce-41f1-a4fc-78dcf31c262a"
data-playlist-id=4ed6c4ff-975c-4cd3-bd91-c35d2ff54d17
data-elements-player="true"
layout="responsive"
width="16"
height="9"
>
Paramount picked up the movie from June Pictures and Endeavor Content (which financed the flick) and they will be handling domestic, UK and French distribution. I was hoping for a breakout, but I may have to settle for a Phantom Menace-level second-weekend drop over Memorial Day weekend. I meant to check out the relatively okay reviewed comedy yesterday but life got in the way. I will make up for it on Monday or Tuesday.
The only other new wide release was Show Dogs. The Will Arnett-fronted talking dog comedy, about a police dog who goes undercover at a dog show to stop a crime, opened with just $1.4 million yesterday. Even if it’s leggy thanks to kid-powered matinees, we’re looking at a $5.15m opening weekend for the poorly-reviewed comedy.
Granted, this came from newbie Global Road Entertainment (as opposed to Walt Disney or Warner Bros.), but we’re a long way off from director Raja Gosnell’s Scooby Doo ($52m in 2002) or Beverly Hills Chihuahua ($29m in 2008. This isn’t my cup of tea (#catsruledogsdrool), but the vocal cast (Stanley Tucci, Alan Cumming, Shaquille O’Neal, etc.) almost makes me curious.
The main platform release this weekend was the documentary Pope Francis: A Man of His Word. The Focus Features release opened in 346 theaters yesterday, which is a lot for a documentary, and it earned $175,000 for the trouble. We should be looking at a $585k Fri-Sun weekend, which would give the doc a poor $1.7k per-theater average.
Warner Bros. released a 70mm film print of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey into four theaters this weekend in celebration of the film’s 50th anniversary. The flick earned $57,057 on Friday for a likely $187k weekend and boffo $46,750 per-theater average. If this is still playing at the Arclight after Sunday, I may try to check it out before a given press screening.
Paul Schrader’s acclaimed First Reformed, starring Ethan Hawke and Amanda Seyfried, opened in four theaters yesterday courtesy of A24. The grim drama earned around $31,000 on Friday for a likely $105k Fri-Sun weekend and promising $25k per-theater average.
Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website. Send me a secure tip.