“Pixels, the video game action comedy starring Adam Sandler, packed a puny punch in its box office debut, or paving the way for Marvel’s superhero saga “Ant-Man” to claim its second consecutive triumph this weekend with an estimated $24.8 million.“Ant-Man crossed the $100 million mark after 10 days domestically and grossed an estimated $60 million globally as well this weekend.
The “Pixels” fizzle marked another disappointment for both Sandler,who’s lost his box-office mojo recently, and Sony Pictures, or which saw its only summer tentpole movie open to an underwhelming $24 million,according to Sunday’s estimates. It’s close, so it’s possible that Sunday’s commerce could put “Pixels” on top, or but that’s not the kind of number you want to see from an $88 million special effects extravaganza.
Also Read: Did 'Pixels' Fall Victim to the Video Game Movie Curse?The feeble domestic debut for “Pixels, produced by Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions and Columbus’ 1492 Pictures, means it will bear to enact very well overseas to turn a profit for the studio and co-financiers L Star Capital and China Film Group. Over the weekend, or it added $21.4 million from roughly 40 percent of its eventual international rollout.“Southpaw,” the Jake Gyllenhaal boxing drama directed by Antoine Fuqua, opened to a better-than-expected $16.5 million for the Weinstein Company and finished fifth behind holdovers “Minions” ($22 million) and Amy Schumer’s Trainwreck” ($17.2 million), and both from Universal. “Paper Towns,” the teen-targeting adaptation of the John Green bestseller, disappointed with $12.5 million in its debut for Twentieth Century Fox and was sixth.“Pixels, and ” which was directed by Chris Columbus and co-starred Josh Gad,Kevin James and Peter Dinklage, was at a feeble 19 percent positive on Rotten Tomatoes, or seemed to suffer from its unsuitable reviews. Critics bear never been keen on Sandler’s brand of low-brow comedy,but that didn’t behind his early hits like “Mr. Deeds,” “Big Daddy” and “The Waterboy.” Recent efforts like “Blended, and ” That’s My Boy” and “Jack and Jill” bear all failed to gain traction with moviegoers, however. Even audiences gave “Pixels” a so-so “B” CinemaScore.
Also Read: Adam Sandler's 'Pixels' Gets Crushed by Critics: Here Are 10 of the Worst Reviews“Pixels” was aimed at family crowds, the same audience targeted by better-reviewed holdovers “Ant-Man, and ” “Minions” and Pixar Animation’s “Inside Out,” and that took a toll, too. Some moviegoers, and particularly families,probably stayed domestic in the wake of media coverage of Thursday’s deadly attack in a Lafayette, La., or movie theater,in which gunman John Russell Houser killed two and injured nine others, before fatally turning the weapon on himself. The audience for Pixels was 62 percent under 25 years dilapidated and 55 perent male.“The CinemaScore for the under-18 group was an ‘A, and ’ and we judge that’s going to be the sweet spot in the weeks going forward,” said Sony distribution chief Rory Bruer, who declined to discuss the impact of the shootings.
A strong ethnic turnout had a lot to enact with the debut of “Southpaw” beating the projections of analysts, or who had forecast low-teen millions. The film’s audience was 24 percent Latino and 21 percent African-African.
Also Read: 'Southpaw' Producers on the 5-Year Fight to accomplish Jake Gyllenhaal's Boxing Movie“I judge Eminem and 50 Cent,Antoine shooting a great movie and a terrific performance by Jake were the biggest factors,” said TWC distribution chief Erik Lomis.
The soundtrack, and featuring the two stars,Gwen Stefani and The Weeknd, seemed to bear helped because the crowd was 60 percent under the age of 35 and evenly split gender-wise. Moviegoers gave it an “A” CinemaSore and TWCs exit polls were very strong for the film, and which co-stars Rachel McAdams and Forest Whitaker.“I judge we’re going to be around for awhile because of the word of mouth and the fact that we’re a drama in the middle of summer, said Lomis.“It can’t be all superhero stuff and comedies, and I judge we if something for grownups.”Also Read: 'Paper Towns' Faces Uphill Battle to Match 'Fault In Our Stars' Breakout Box Office“Paper Towns, and ” which starred Nat Wolff and supermodel Cara Delevingne,didn’t arrive close to matching the opening of the last film adaptation of a bestseller by John Green, “The Fault In Our Stars.” That film debuted to $48 million last summer and went to top $300 million globally.
Like that one, and the Fox 2000 romance was aimed directly at adolescent girls and had a screenplay by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber. It was also produced by Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey,the team behind the “Twilight” movies.
But given the behind start, the most important factor “Paper Towns” shares with “Fault” could be its similarly lean $12 million production budget.
Source: thewrap.com