


Disney/Pixar’s “Hoppers” bounced out of the gate Thursday and sprinted through Friday for a $13 million dollar “opening day,” a harbinger of a $40 million opening weekend. Maybe more, sayeth Deadline.com.
That’ll be at least $15 million more than the non-Disney “GOAT” hit when it opened Valentine’s Day weekend. But that’s a far cry from last November’s blockbuster–still in cinemas — “Zootopia 2” debut. That’s a Disney Feature Animation release.
Pixar, which has lost its box office mojo as the platinum standard for blockbuster openings, hasn’t had a hit this big since “Coco” some nine years ago. And that opened at a pre-Trumpflation $50 million.
Reviews have been more mixed than you’d think if you took moviegoing advice from the compromised cheerleaders over at RT. For an eco-friendly film with an “Avatar” twist on the old “If I could talk with the animals” trope, it’s seriously lacking in decent laughs.
“The Bride!” is looking like Warner Bros. last waltz, and a bust. As the studio starts the process of being devoured by evil Larry Ellison and Paramount, an ill-advised “Joker” take on “The Bride!” of Frankenstein will play its part in their demise as an “independent” media empire.
I joked in my review of this frenetic, chaotic screech of rage that Netflix must have caught an early preview and decided it wouldn’t up its bid for WB based on the bomb-in-the-making. It only rang up $3 million Thursday night and Friday.
Deadline says its on track to earn $40 million, worldwide, on its opening, but only $7-10 million here, good enough for a third place finish on its debut weekend.
Will it clear more than the $80 million it cost? Will it cost Jessie Buckley her “Hamnet” shot at an Oscar? No and probably not.
I saw it in an empty theater in Flyover America at 7:15 on Thursday night. Empty.
“Scream 7” is on track to come in second this weekend, taking in over $18. Weak reviews and Palestinian protest replacement of its leads controversy didn’t ding its opening last week, but nobody’s seeing this one twice. If it hits $18 million, that’d be a 72 percent plummet. Day-em.
“GOAT” is heading towards something like a $6-7 million weekend and fourth place.
“Wuthering Heights” is still in the top five, on track to clear just shy of $4 million. That may put it over $80 million, and will certainly add to its over $200 million worldwide take. Whatever it does on weekends, this Margot Robbie/Jacob Elordi sexing up (more of a heavy-breathing tease, I thought) take on Emily Bronte’s novel is keeping the lights on in cinemas on weekdays, where it has been #1, #2 or #3 pretty much since it opened.
“How to Make a Killing” should exit the top ten. That “Elvis” doc should stick around. “Send Help” as well. But we’ll see.
I’ll update these figures as Sat. and Sunday numbers come in.

If a protest doesn’t affect sales, is it a protest at all? Seriously, why mention it? Should one say “the protest that never materialized” or “the ineffective protest”?
Controversy was supposed to flatten the take, and nostalgia for Neve and Courtney trumped outrage opening week. It’s falling off steeply — 67-70 percent week-to week. “No legs” is a consequence of bad reviews, but Paramount gets “the win.” I guess.