Pre-summer film slate looks strong
Last week, 42, the Jackie Robinson biopic, managed an excellent $27.5 million opening, which not only is the largest box-office opening for a baseball film but also the second-largest for any sports film ever. On the other hand, Scary Movie 5 failed to generate much interest with $14.1 million, far less than what the fourth one made its opening day in 2006.
Since there’s only one release this week, the Box Office Beat is going to look at the next two weekends. Coming out April 19 is Oblivion, a new sci-fi epic starring Tom Cruise and directed by Joseph Kosinski. The following week will see the release of Pain & Gain, director Michael Bay’s latest excuse to blow things up and the ensemble marriage comedy The Big Wedding.
Oblivion stars Tom Cruise as a handyman in a postapocalyptic future where the Earth has been ravaged by an alien invasion. When he’s trapped on the surface, he ends up discovering the truth of what happened to the planet. Also starring Olga Kurylenko and Morgan Freeman, the film is based on an original idea by Joseph Kosinski, who directed Tron: Legacy.
Though Tron may not have been a critical hit, it was notable for its visually striking imagery and this film seems to have that same heightened visual style. From the sleek unique designs of the ship to the serene yet disheveled landscape, this film demands to be seen in the IMAX format.
However, this is an original sci-fi property, which is a really hard sell. The marketing has definitely played up the visuals, but there doesn’t seem to be a significant enough hook regarding the storyline. There’s also the matter of Cruise himself; even though he’s one of the most recognizable stars on the planet, his recent films — other than Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol — have garnered mixed box office results lately.
Universal has played this up as a summer release in the middle of April, which very rarely sees this ambitious of a project. We could see the film open around the higher $30 million, though a $40 million-plus opening is possible if the film is received well.
In the following week, we see the release of Pain & Gain, directed by action aficionado Michael Bay. The film stars Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson as a pair of bodybuilders who get caught up in a wild criminal escapade with tons of explosions, guns fired, bulging muscles and enough bromance to make your head spin. Bay hasn’t directed a straight-up crime-action caper like this since 2003’s Bad Boys II.
The marketing has played up the ridiculousness of the concept (which bizarrely enough is based on an true story) and the association with Bay, whose fame (infamy?) is based entirely on his ability to turn any car chase or shootout into an explosive assault on the senses.
Many people criticize Bay for his overemphasis on action, degradation of women and his racist/juvenile humor; however, all of that seems to be appropriate for this kind of movie rather than the Transformers films, where those traits were more jarring against the self-seriousness of those features.
The film is practically oozing with testosterone; it comes across as a Bad Boys II on steroids or even a parody of Michael Bay movies. To some people out there, that’s a huge selling point.
A number of issues crop up, though, since its R rating will limit its audience, and it may just be too far out of a plot for most people. Another problem is that it finds itself stuck between Oblivion the week before and Iron Man 3 the following week. Still, there’s a chance that it could benefit from its niche status and break out with a $40 million-plus opening. A likelier level is around the higher $20 million range.
Also coming out April 26 is The Big Wedding, which features a very impressive ensemble of actors and actresses including Amanda Seyfried, Robert de Niro, Katherine Heigl, Robin Williams, Susan Sarandon, Topher Grace, Ben Barnes and Diane Keaton. Directed by Justin Zackham, the writer of The Bucket List, it features a story about a long-divorced couple pretending to be married for the sake of their son’s wedding.
Despite the presence of four Oscar winners, this does come across as one of those generic romantic comedies that just doesn’t work with audiences the way it used to. It likely won’t open with higher box office numbers than The Five-Year Engagement, which opened last year around the same time with just $10.6 million, with a much greater marketing push behind it.
These next two weekends make for a nice pre-summer slate; although there’s nothing at the same level as Iron Man 3. But then again, what would be?
Robert Calcagno is a second-year graduate student in the School of Cinematic Arts pursing an MFA in animation. His column “Box Office Beat” runs Fridays.