The latest “Godzilla” movie is coasting by on its brand, not being helped by reviews, which were middling to awful, or apparently word of mouth from folks who have already seen it.
It did a robust Thursday and had a big start Friday, then began a cooling off that could make it fall 10 percent or more below the low end of predicted opening weekend sales. $51 million, Deadline says. Maybe.
“Ma” is performing exactly as anticipated. A studio brand, no supernatural elements, horror built on good actors acting scary. $18 million, and please note, Octavia Spencer is MONEY.
Elton John is getting his ass kicked by Freddie Mercury. No sense sugar coating it. A musical built around a pop star who didn’t die young and stuck around, still tours, etc. is proving to be less of a draw.
They went for the R rating with “Rocketman” and didn’t shy away from the gay sex (not gay “romance,” it is worth noting) and drugs. It made his story more a maudlin melodrama, but that’s how he sees it.
The production numbers have ambition, a couple are delightful and one is downright dazzling. But it’s not proving to be that appealing of a story, kind of snippy and self pitying and bitchy. “Joyless” I said in my review. An impressive enough film that has a sourness that keeps it from taking flight.
Elton Approved. Elton should have been kept out of some of the meetings. Plainly. It won’t open at $30, which was below the predicted low $30s. It may only manage $23 or so in the U.S.
The Bitch ISN’T back.
Older audience, and young people aren’t as connected with the music as generations have bonded with Queen, whose surviving members went for a PG-13 version of Freddie Mercury’s life. And look like bloody geniuses for doing so.
“Aladdin” is falling off a very respectable 50 percent or so, over $40 its second weekend.
“Booksmart” is holding over half it’s opening weekend numbers and will be just fine. It will clear $20 by the end of NEXT weekend.
“Long Shot” is gone and forgotten fron the top ten. The PG-13 “The Hustle” is still the biggest comedy hit of the summer, middling reviews be damned.
Movie Nation 