Reviews for the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody weren’t exactly stellar (60 percent on Rotten Tomatoes), and I think most fans of Queen were probably hoping for a more faithful biopic (or at least one that wasn’t so tilted by the input of the surviving members of the band). As biopics go, it was fairly paint-by-numbers, and there were a few scenes in which it was clear that guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor were trying to make themselves look better to the detriment of Freddie Mercury. With all that said, however, most fans were able to dismiss those concerns (and those surrounding director Bryan Singer, who was fired from the film) and appreciate Bohemian Rhapsody for what it is: Two hours and twenty minutes of Queen songs and a stellar, magnetic performance from Rami Malek.
Sure, it could have been much better, but it’s impossible to argue with the film’s rousing, crowd-pleasing abilities (it scored an A Cinemascore), which translated into a very impressive $50 million opening, considerably better than expectations. In fact, with $13 million from its U.K. opening last weekend, the film has already earned back its $55 million budget, and whatever criticisms viewers have with the film or controversies that have erupted around it, it’ll be mostly forgotten in the wake of its stellar box-office performance. In fact, this movie very well could be the 2018 version of The Greatest Showman, a crowd-pleaser dismissed by critics that nevertheless becomes a monster sleeper hit on the basis of enthusiastic crowds and incredible songs. As a critic, I wanted more from Bohemian Rhapsody. As a moviegoer, I was too caught up in the music of Queen to let the film’s deficits ruin a good time at the multiplex. A potential Oscar nomination for Rami Malek could also keep Bohemian Rhapsody in theaters for weeks, even during the crowded holiday season.
Things didn’t go as well for Nutcracker and the Four Realms, which is quickly turning into Disney’s third box-office bomb of the year after Solo: A Star Wars Story and A Wrinkle in Time (although, with the success of Avengers and Black Panther, among others, no one needs to feel sorry for Disney). Nutcracker, a $120 million family film, is coming in at a relatively dismal $20 million. Critics weren’t fans (35 percent on Rotten Tomatoes), although moviegoers didn’t hate it (a B+ Cinemascore).
It’s hard to say exactly what went wrong with this one. Like Bohemian Rhapsody, Nutcracker replaced its director (Joe Johnston did extensive reshoots, stepping in for the original director Lasse Hallstrom). However, I think the biggest problem with Nutcracker is that it is a slow-paced two-hour and 20 minute movie based on a ballet, and younger kids aren’t going to show up for that (or at least, their parents aren’t going to be as willing to bring them), while older kids may have less interest in a ballet movie. Parents don’t want to spend $75 for movie tickets and concessions only to end up trying to manage bored and fidgety kids for over two hours. The film may catch on as we get closer to the holidays, but with the Wreck-It-Ralph sequel arriving on Thanksgiving and Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch opening next weekend, I suspect Nutcracker will quickly get lost in the shuffle.
Tyler Perry’s Nobody’s Fool nabbed third place with $13.8 million, an OK outing but well short of Tyler Perry’s usual opening weekend numbers. In fact, it’s the third lowest opening weekend of Perry’s career, where his average is $20 million per opening weekend. The star power of Tiffany Haddish, who helped propel Night School into the year’s top comedy, clearly didn’t translate here, and a crowded opening weekend didn’t help. Tyler Perry movies typically do best when they exploit release dates during otherwise slow periods.
Holdovers took the rest of the top ten. Halloween continued to do well even after the Halloween holiday, racking up $11.1 million to bring its three-week total to a whopping $150 million (again, it only cost $10 million to produce this film). A Star Is Born is still above the $10 million mark in its 5th week with $10.7 million. It’s now earned $165 million. Venom, likewise, is hanging in there in its fifth week with $7.5 million. With $198 million, it should surpass the $200 million mark this week.
With $3.6 million, Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween has now earned $44 million as it fades into November. In its second week, Gerard Butler’s Hunter Killer earned only $3.5 million and sits at $12.9 million after 10 days. Another $3.5 million brings The Hate U Give to a respectable $23.5 million. Finally, Smallfoot spends its final week in the top ten, earning $3.1 million to bring its total to $76 million (plus $94 million overseas).
Next weekend, Universal will roll out a CGI version of Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch, while Claire Foy stars in another Girl with the Dragon Tattoo entry, this one called A New Dragon Tattoo Story. Finally, J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot production company puts forward the World War II horror film, Overlord. It’s the one least likely to make a dent in the box office, but the one I’m most excited to see.
Source: Deadline, Box Office Mojo
