The Fall Guy, the Ryan Gosling-led, action-comedy ode to stunt performers, opened below expectations with $28.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday, providing a lukewarm start to a summer season that's very much to be determined for Hollywood. The Universal Pictures release opened on a weekend that Marvel has regularly dominated with $100 million-plus launches. But last year's strikes jumbled this year's movie calendar, per the AP; Deadpool & Wolverine, originally slated to open this weekend, is instead debuting in July. So in place of a superhero kickoff, the summer launch went to a movie about stunt performers who anonymously sacrifice their bodies for the kind of action sequences blockbusters are built on.
Forecasts had The Fall Guy opening at $30 million to $40 million. Directed by former stuntman David Leitch, the film arrived with glowing reviews and the buzz of a SXSW premiere. But it will need sustained interest to merit its $130 million production budget. Working in its favor for a long run: strong audience scores (an "A-" CinemaScore) and good reviews (83% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes). But the modest start for The Fall Guy hints at larger concerns for the industry. Superhero films haven't been the box office behemoth they once were, leading studios to search for alternatives. The Fall Guy seemed to check all the boxes, with extravagant action sequences, one of the hottest stars in the business, a director with a track record for crowd pleasers, and good reviews.
Below are estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
- The Fall Guy, $28.5 million.
- Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, $8.1 million.
- Challengers, $7.6 million.
- Tarot, $6.5 million.
- Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, $4.5 million.
- Civil War, $3.6 million.
- Unsung Hero, $3 million.
- Kung Fu Panda 4, $2.4 million.
- Abigail, $2.3 million.
- Ghostbuster: Frozen Empire, $1.8 million.
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