Box Office Round Up
TheGroundhog DayderivativeHappy Death Dayruled the weekend box office with a total of $26.5M, absolutely wreckingBlade Runner 2049in its second weekend. If you’reBlade Runner, this is a continued problem as you still cost $150M to make andstill had an abysmal opening weekendone week ago.
Speaking ofHappy Death Day, I’d be totally OK with this movie (and whatever success it achieves) if the ending were a twist wherein it was revealed Bill Murray had never escaped his repeating day all those years ago and now, out of boredom, murders the same college coed who happens to matriculate in Punxsutawney.
MaybeBlade Runner 2049was just positioned poorly–maybe this film should have aimed for a summer release. Maybe Friday the 13th in early October was just prime positioning for a playful horror movie. Maybe sci-fi really is dead–but then again, theStar Trekfranchise endures (yes–its recent iteration has seen diminishing returns, but is still largely profitable); Dr. Who still rules British television; and Star Wars is still Star Wars.
Is it the absence of a franchise or recent history (and thus fan base) that doomedBlade Runner 2049, a sequel that took 35 years to deliver? Perhaps they should have played up the Ridley Scott ‘universe’ connection toAlien.
So why didn’t you seeBlade Runner 2049? It’s a beautiful movie and worth the big screen experience, but audiences aren’t biting–what kept you away?
- Victoria and Abdul – $3,115,000
