‘Jackass Forever’ and ‘Uncharted’ Box Office Preview

It’s Johnny Knoxville and Tom Holland to the rescue – at least for this month’s low-grossing theaters. Knoxville and his group of fun pranksters from “Jackass Forever“(Paramount) opened Thursday night with $1.65 million, while Roland Emmerich’s latest disaster film”Falling Moon“Revenue $700,000 initially. Storms in the central part of the country closed some cinemas and conversely reduced the value of both figures.

February in the country Van Phong It couldn’t be much worse than January: The $390 million figure was only 44 percent of the same February of the previous year, just before the pandemic began to spread around the world, forcing many theaters to close. Typically, February collects about 75-80 percent of January. This year should be better.

Last month got off to a strong start with “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which added $164 million to its box office after opening in December. That number accounted for 43 percent of the total. collect the box office for all movie. The Marvel movie produced by Sony will probably only bring in another 30-40 million dollars this month. The rest of the retention, including “Scream,” won’t do much more than that.

To hit any sort of passable total, eight new broad studio releases would have to add up, with at least two – “Jackass Forever” and “Jackass Forever”Not detected yet” (Sony / February 18) – seems to be the best location for real money. A major reason for concern this month is also opportunity: there was an unusually low franchise/sequel sales among February’s new releases.

If the box office results are better than expected, that’s an indication that audiences are reacting to two elements missing from many recent films. First: originality in non-franchise films; second: comedies, which have not proven to be a hit in recent months at the box office. If the new releases of the month perform well, it could create an impetus for the future of the show, on par with what “No Way Home” has achieved, even if their combined performance far less than superheroes.

“Spider-Man: There’s No Way Home”

“Jackass Forever” is the fourth film in the comedy stunt series and the first in 12 years. Younger fans of the first 2002 film may have kids old enough to see the R-rated film. A key question “Jackass” will help clarify: whether the taste for comedy – often fleeting past – can sustain itself or not. Perhaps the gap between films will make this new entry, which includes many new stars, feel fresher. Pre-release estimates predict a $15-20 million opening weekend, though if word-of-mouth were like the buzz on Twitter, the film could have grossed higher.

Sony and “Spider-Man” star Holland return to the channel with “Uncharted,” which premieres February 18. The video game adaptation has long had a Christmas 2020 date before pre-production. COVID delayed, only pushed two more times in the following months. The adventure, directed by Ruben Fleischer, currently opens on Presidents Day weekend (February 11 in the UK/Ireland).

Like many actors who are strongly identified with a popular character, Holland cannot automatically transfer his “Spider-Man” appeal to another series. Leonardo DiCaprio managed to push “The Man in the Iron Mask” to the equivalent of $34 million in sales in 1998, only falling short of beating his “Titanic” in its thirteenth week at No. No. 1. “Mask” is a historical action movie that doesn’t seem to have any more obvious appeal than “Uncharted,” which has a built-in fan base of longtime players.

Expectations are that it could be the biggest opening of the month, with the potential to pull $20 million over the weekend with higher potential. Along with “Jackass Forever,” these are the only titles where there is hope (as of now) for such an opening. Compare that to early 2020, just before COVID hit: The first two months of 2020 saw seven films gross over $20 million in their first week, four over $30 million, two films over $50 million.

Along with lower expectations for new, lesser titles being released. In 2020, 22 wide releases were opened in the first two months of the year. The total this year for the same time period will be just 13. The meager number of new releases is a problem that won’t go away and one that continues to plague cinemas.

“Moonfall,” Emmerich’s latest film (also one of his existential threats to humanity’s endeavour) at around $150 million, is one of the most expensive indie films ever. be done. Lionsgate’s share of the cost is much lower, but unless there’s some post-Twitter cheer that ramps up at the last minute of post-Twitter excitement over early screenings (mostly of an excessive nature and glorification of human stupidity, of a different kind than “Jackass”) is not expected to open more than $10 million.

“Marry me”

Next weekend, three movies will premiere in the wake of the Super Bowl, two of which are aimed at older audiences. Since February 11 is the Friday closest to Valentine’s Day, the rom-com “Marry Me” (Universal, also playing on Peacock) is syndicated. The film stars Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson and Colombian singer Maluma. The long-delayed “Death on the Nile” (Disney), a victim of COVID and concerns about group member Armie Hammer’s personal scandals, is also opening in theaters. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, the film comes before his Oscar-nominated “Belfast.” Both films are projected to open in the $15 million range.

The absence of other recent action titles could lead to Briarcliffe picking the same weekend to release “Blacklight”. This year (first, somehow, there’s still a lot more to come) Liam Neeson’s anti-human thriller is headed for a lower end. “Dog” (United Artists) stars Channing Tatum and a German Shepherd in a comedy about getting to a funeral on time. It takes place on February 18th and will also likely gross under $10 million.

The Foo Fighters star in “Studio 666” (Open Road) next week, starring as a band recording an album in a haunted mansion. Expectations are on the lower side, but sometimes quirky ideas can take their toll, especially with the added value of big names.

“World’s ugliest man”

Courtesy Everett Collection

Elsewhere, the struggling professional world will have some opportunity to show that it is recovering. Neon opens for Oscar nominees hailed as “Top of the World” today, with a limited release expanding for the month. The Norwegian TV series, nominated for a potential Best International Film, has a somewhat more youthful relationship story than many major titles, while still hitting on what would normally be. many sweet spots for the audience.

Joe Wright’s “Cyrano” (United Artists) finally opens on February 25 with a nationwide, but not widespread, release. The Oscar nominations, announced Tuesday, should also spur efforts to maximize or bring the top nominations back into the box office battle. There is certainly room for them.

The overall estimate for this month is incorrect: $300 million seems low, with $400 million (even better than January, if two or three movies perform well) still possible. February 2020 grossed $638 million, which means, at best, this month will only account for 60% of that total. There’s good news, though: the predicted timeline is less than January, and March will see the release of the much-anticipated movie “The Batman” (Warner Bros.). Looks like the cavalry is coming.

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