|
In pandemic times, those ticket sales were
enough to lead this weekend's box office charts and land one of
the biggest North American openings in 2022. But it's also a
sign that magic is in short supply for J.K. Rowling's lucrative
and ever-expanding Wizarding World. Dinged by mixed reviews and
growing apathy for prequel series star Newt Scamander (Eddie
Redmayne) and company, "The Secrets of Dumbledore" stands as the
worst start for a "Harry Potter"-adjacent movie. (Its
predecessors 2016's "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,"
launched to $74 million in North America, while the 2018
follow-up "The Crimes of Grindelwald" bowed to $62 million.)
The diminishing enthusiasm for "Fantastic Beasts" is problematic
because witchcraft and wizardry does not come cheap. Warner
Bros. shelled out $200 million to produce "The Secrets of
Dumbledore," and the studio spent tens of millions more to
promote the film to audiences across the globe. Like its
predecessors, "The Secrets of Dumbledore" will be reliant on the
international box office to make money in its theatrical run.
The first two "Fantastic Beasts" installments -- which ended
with $814 million globally and $650 million globally,
respectively -- made nearly 75% of revenues from foreign sales.
"Fantastic Beasts 3," too, has been a bigger draw to overseas
audiences. Since the film touched down in several foreign
markets last weekend, "The Secrets of Dumbledore" has grossed
$193 million globally to date. But the persistence of COVID-19
has cut into the box office in China, where 50% of movie
theaters are closed, while Russia's invasion of Ukraine has
meant that country is not granted access to Hollywood's films.
Those limitations have been difficult for all blockbusters.
Since the pandemic began in 2020, only five Hollywood movies
have generated at least $500 million at the global box office.
"Harry Potter" veteran David Yates directed the third chapter in
the prequel series, which follows the beloved Hogwarts professor
Albus Dumbledore (portrayed by Jude Law). But he's only one of a
couple Dumbledores with "secrets," as referenced in the movie's
title. In "Fantastic Beasts 3," which was co-written by Rowling
and another "Potter" alum Steve Kloves, a young(er) Albus and
Scamander, a notable magizoologist, team up to thwart the dark
wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Madds Mikkelson, replacing Johnny
Depp) from igniting a wizarding world war. The cast also
includes Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Callum Turner
and Jessica Williams.
Variety's Peter Debruge called the film a "vastly improved
sequel," which isn't saying much because fans were not
particularly receptive to the last entry. The prequel saga,
which predates the adventures of Harry, Ron and Hermione, is
intended to be a five-film franchise, but executives at Warner
Bros. are waiting to see how "The Secrets of Dumbledore" is
received by audiences before giving films four and five the
greenlight. "Fantastic Beasts 3" secured a "B+" CinemaScore, the
same grade as its predecessor. "Fantastic Beasts and Where to
Find Them" landed higher marks, an "A-" score, from moviegoers.
Off-screen, "Fantastic Beasts" has been a controversy magnet. On
top of declining box office ticket sales, the series has been
subject to blowback over Rowling's controversial views on sex
and gender identity, as well as the domestic abuse allegations
that forced Depp out of the franchise. And Miller, who has a key
role in the latest film, was recently arrested for disorderly
conduct and harassment, though the temporary restraining order
against the actor has been newly dropped. Though moviegoers may
not be aware of all the scandals plaguing "Fantastic Beasts,"
internally at Warner Bros. it has become a headache, one that
has become less and less pleasant to endure because the series
isn't exactly minting money in its theatrical run. The Wizarding
World of Harry Potter, however, is much more than a film
franchise. The fantastical universe has lent itself to
profitable theme parks, live events, a Broadway play, as well as
consumer products riches and success on home entertainment.
This weekend's other major release, Sony's R-rated faith-based
drama "Father Stu," flopped in its domestic debut, earning only
$5 million from 2,705 North American theaters. The film, which
sunk to fifth place, has earned $8 million since opening on
Wednesday. Mark Wahlberg, who stars in the film with Mel Gibson,
produced "Father Stu" and used his own money when COVID-19
tacked on extra costs to production.
Rosalind Ross, Gibson's partner, wrote and directed the film,
which tells the story of boxer-turned-priest Father Stuart Long
and his inspiring journey from self-destruction to redemption.
"Father Stu" is Gibson's first major studio movie since 2017's
"Daddy's Home 2" from Paramount Pictures. An Oscar winner for "Braveheart"
and Academy Award-nominee for "Hacksaw Ridge," Gibson has
largely been working on smaller indies and straight-to-streaming
action films with Lionsgate and Saban Films in the decade since
making headlines for anti-semitic and racist tirades.
In the No. 2 spot, Paramount's family friendly "Sonic the
Hedgehog 2" sped to $30 million from 4,258 cinemas, declining
58% in its second weekend of release. As "Sonic 2" continues to
charm audiences, the film has generated a strong $119.6 million
in North America to date.
Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum's romantic action-adventure
"The Lost City" took third place for the second weekend in a
row. The movie, also from Paramount Pictures, collected $6.5
million in its fourth weekend in theaters, bringing its domestic
tally to $78.5 million.
A24's genre-overload "Everything Everywhere All At Once" enjoyed
another impressive run, moving up to fourth place with $6.1
million from 2,220 screens. Directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel
Scheinert and starring Michelle Yeoh in a multiverse
action-adventure-comedy-fantasy-sci-fi mashup, has earned $17.6
million so far.
[© 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.]
|
|
