Box Office Disappointment: ‘Fall Guy’ Falls Short of Expectations

The much-anticipated summer movie season kicked off with Universal‘s action-romance film ‘Fall Guy,’ starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, which failed to meet box office expectations on its opening day. The film grossed $10.4 million from 4,002 locations, with a projected three-day opening of $28 million, lower than industry projections had anticipated.

‘Fall Guy’ was expected to open in the low-to-mid $30 million range, falling short of hopes from Universal. The film, towering with a $130 million production budget, carries the weight of high financial expectations despite strong reviews and positive audience reception.

The movie, directed by David Leitch, is a feature adaptation of the 80s TV series of the same name. In addition to Gosling and Blunt, the stellar cast includes Hannah Waddingham, Winston Duke, and Teresa Palmer.

At the same time, Sony’s horror film ‘Tarot’ hit the screens, earning $2.5 million on Friday and projecting a fourth-place finish. With a PG-13 rating and modest $8 million budget, the film’s audience reception has been lukewarm despite unfavorable reviews.

Meanwhile, Disney celebrated the 25th anniversary of ‘Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace’ by re-releasing the film into theaters, generating $2.4 million on Friday from 2,700 locations. The prequel film is exceeding last year’s ‘Return of the Jedi’ re-release figures.

Amazon MGM Studios’ ‘Challengers,’ a tennis drama starring Zendaya, is holding strong in its second weekend, projecting to cross the $30 million domestic mark.

In the fifth spot, Legendary Entertainment’s ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ continues its successful run, estimated to earn $4.2 million in its sixth weekend and surpassing $187 million domestically.