Latest news with #FranchiseRe
See - Sada Elbalad
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
"Superman" Soars to $122 Million at Box Office
Yara Sameh 'Superman,' the newly rebooted comic book adventure starring David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, soared to $122 million in its first weekend of release. The ticket sales were strong enough to rank as the year's third-largest debut after 'A Minecraft Movie' ($162 million) and 'Lilo & Stitch' ($146 million). Turnout was slightly softer than expected at the international box office with $95 million from 78 markets, bringing its global tally to $217 million. Box office watchers say they aren't surprised that 'Superman' started stronger in the U.S. compared to overseas because the character, whose motto is 'truth, justice and the American way,' is the quintessential star-spangled hero. 'This is an outstanding domestic opening. If there's any softness here, it's overseas,' said David A. Gross, who runs the FranchiseRe movie consulting firm. 'Superman has always been identified as an American character, and in some parts of the world, America is currently not enjoying its greatest popularity.' Warner Bros. and DC Studios have a lot at stake, and not just because 'Superman' cost a hefty $225 million to produce and roughly $100 million to promote. The superhero film is the first entry in the relaunched DC Universe and has the colossal responsibility of igniting a new interconnected comic book universe for the studio. 'Supergirl,' featuring the caped hero's cousin, and 'Clayface' arrive in 2026, while a new take on 'Wonder Woman' is in the works. James Gunn and Peter Safran took over the leadership of DC Studios in 2022 after its last iteration of superhero movies imploded with the epic losing-streak of 'The Flash,' 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,' 'Shazam: Fury of the Gods,' and 'Blue Beetle.' 'Three years ago, I hired James Gunn and Peter Safran to reimagine and unify the creative direction of DC under one leadership team,' said David Zaslav, president and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, in a statement. 'The DC vision is clear, the momentum is real, and I couldn't be more excited for what's ahead.' Gunn, best known for 'Guardians of the Galaxy' and 'The Suicide Squad,' directed 'Superman.' The story follows the earnest hero as he proves to the world that he's trying to do good after the villainous Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) executes a plan to turn public opinion against him. In Clark Kent's corner is reporter Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) and his faithful companion Krypto the Superdog. Critics and audiences have embraced the film with an 82% average on Rotten Tomatoes and 'A-' grade on CinemaScore exit polls. This reception is a start in terms of earning back the confidence of DC fans. It also seems to be an endorsement of Gunn's lighter and escapist vision after director Zack Snyder's dark and dour take on characters in the DC Extended Universe with entries like 2016's 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' and 2017's 'Justice League.' Attendance for 'Superman' skewed younger, with moviegoers under the age of 25 accounting for 28% of opening weekend crowds. 'Gunn chose not to rely on big stars. Storytelling and filmmaking are doing the work here,' Gross noted. 'This is the original, comic book hero story about a flawed and reluctant everyman who uses his special powers to fight evil. That arc is reliable and relatable.' Positive word-of-mouth will be vital for 'Superman's' box office staying power. That's because big opening weekends are rarely a problem for comic book movies, especially ones anchored by a hero as universally recognizable as Superman. But the ability to keep drawing crowds over the busy summer season will be a truer test of the property's cinematic strength. Just look at what happened to recent installments in Disney's comparatively more popular Marvel Cinematic Universe, like 2023's 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' ($106 million debut) and this year's 'Captain America: Brave New World' ($100 million debut over the Presidents Day holiday). Those big-budget tentpoles started strong at the box office, only to completely collapse in subsequent weekends. Meanwhile, Superman's last solo outing, 2013's 'Man of Steel' with Henry Cavill, generated a healthy $116 million in its opening weekend (not adjusted for inflation) but didn't inspire the kind of lasting enthusiasm that spawns an enduring cinematic universe. 'Superman' benefited from IMAX screens, which accounted for $19.1 million in North America (15.6% of its haul) and $30.4 million globally. IMAX has become a boon for special effects-driven films because those tickets are more expensive, and the larger-than-life screens offer a distinctly out-of-the-house experience. ''Superman' makes excellent use of Imax technology to deliver the scale and spectacle audiences expect from this iconic hero, and audiences turned out to Imax in droves as a result,' said the company's CEO, Rich Gelfond. ''Superman' continues the most consistent trend we've seen at the global box office this summer — filmmakers lean into Imax, audiences turn out to Imax in outsized numbers, and Imax overdelivers in the worldwide results and drives continued growth in its global network.' 'Superman' continues a stellar box office streak for Warner Bros. following the back-to-back-to-back hits of 'A Minecraft Movie,' 'Sinners,' 'Final Destination Bloodlines,' and 'F1: The Movie.' Those blockbusters arrived after the studio's painful string of commercial flops, including 'Mickey 17,' 'The Alto Knights,' and 'Joker: Folie à Deux.' With those successes and other recent winners, overall theatrical revenues are 15% of the same point in 2024, according to Comscore. However, they are still roughly 24% behind 2019, the last pre-pandemic year. Upcoming releases like Marvel's 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps,' Liam Neeson's 'The Naked Gun' reboot, and 'Freakier Friday' hope to help set a post-pandemic box office record. 'Though there have been some casualties, this highly competitive summer movie marketplace has been great for most films,' says senior Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian. 'The depth and breadth of titles from every genre has driven one of the best summer movie seasons ever.' As 'Superman' soared to the top of domestic box office charts, the Last Son of Krypton likely took a massive bite out of ticket sales for last weekend's champion, Universal's 'Jurassic World Rebirth.' The dinosaur epic added $40 million from 4,324 venues in its second weekend of release, a painful 57% drop from its debut. Even with a substantial second-weekend decline, 'Jurassic World Rebirth,' which rebooted the long-running series with Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey and Mahershala Ali, has been a box office heavyweight. The film has so far sunk its teeth into a mighty $232 million domestically and $529 million worldwide. Third place went to Apple's 'F1' with $13 million from 3,412 theaters in its third lap around the track, marking a 50% decline from the prior weekend. The film, which Warner Bros. is distributing theatrically, has generated $136 million in North America and $393 million worldwide. Though 'F1,' starring Brad Pitt as a has-been Formula One driver, carries a massive $250 million price tag (and requires many laps around the track to justify its cost), these are notable ticket sales for an adult-skewing tentpole that's not part of an existing film franchise. It's by far Apple's highest-grossing movie to date. Two kid-friendly tentpoles, Universal's 'How to Train Your Dragon' reboot and Disney's Pixar adventure 'Elio,' rounded out box office charts. In the No. 4 spot, 'How to Train Your Dragon' collected $7.8 million from 3,285 theaters in its fourth weekend on the big screen. The live-action remake of 2010's 'How to Train Your Dragon' has powered to $239 million domestically and $560 million globally to date. 'Elio' landed in fifth place with $4 million from 2,730 screens in its fourth outing. The intergalactic tale has grossed just $63 million in North America and finally surpassed the $100 million mark globally after a month of release. With $117 million in worldwide ticket sales, the $150 million-budgeted tentpole will end its theatrical run as a major money loser for Disney and Pixar. Disney isn't hurting too much because 'Lilo & Stitch' is imminently joining the billion-dollar club. The live-action remake has grossed $414.6 million in North America and $994 million globally after eight weeks of release. Since 'Lilo & Stitch' is practically minting money for the studio (box office returns are nothing compared to Stitch-related consumer product sales), it's no surprise a live-action sequel is already in the works. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks Arts & Culture Hawass Foundation Launches 1st Course to Teach Ancient Egyptian Language Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream
Daily Mail
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
New Superman movie soars to the top of the box office earning $122 million in third best opening of 2025
Superman had a super opening weekend as the new action adventure soared to the top of the box office. Fans of the superhero turned over some $122 million to see the new action adventure during its debut, according to The Numbers. The action adventure starring David Corenswet at the Man of Steel earned an 82-percent critics rating and an even more enthusiastic score of 93-percent from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. The film earned another $95 million internationally, but did not do as well overseas, perhaps due to the current political climate between the United States and the rest of the world. 'Superman has always been identified as an American character, and in some parts of the world, America is currently not enjoying its greatest popularity,' David A. Gross, of the movie consulting firm FranchiseRe told Variety. Gross praised director James Gunn for focusing on the story rather than relying on big stars to attract the audience. 'This is the original, comic book hero story about a flawed and reluctant every-man who uses his special powers to fight evil. That arc is reliable and relatable,' he said. That, along with a built-in audience resulted in Superman having the third biggest opening of 2025, behind A Minecraft Movie , which has earned more than $955 so far, and the live action Lilo & Stitch, which is still in the top 10 after eight weeks in theaters. Last week's winner, Jurassic World Rebirth, dropped to a distant second place, earning another $40 million domestically. The latest offering in the franchise did not fare well with critics, but has done relatively well with audiences, perhaps due to the casting of Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali and Jonathan Bailey. So far the dinosaur drama has dug up nearly $530 million globally. F1: The Movie, starring Brad Pitt, Idris Elba and Javier Bardem, crossed the finish line in third its third week in theaters. The high-octane adventure collected a prize worth $13 million domestically. So far F1 has done much better on the international market, where it has collected a prize worth $252.2 million for a global take of $393, 395,000. How to Train Your Dragon, the live action version of the 2010 animated hit, remained a strong draw at theaters over the weekend. The action adventure flew away with another $7.8 million in ticket sales domestically. Internationally, the beloved tale has been as huge a hit as it is in the US, for a global total of nearly $561 million. Rounding out the top five was Elio. The Disney animated adventure about a space-obsessed boy who meets space aliens landed with a payday of $3.9 million. The film has not been as well received as other Disney/Pixar projects, earning only $63 million in the US and another $53 million internationally. Superman will face some stiff competition next week when the animated Smurfs, starring the voices of Rihanna, Jimmy Kimmel, James Corden and Octavia Spencer debuts in wide release. The spooky I Know What You Did Last Summer, starring Freddie Prinze Jr, along with new victims Chase Sui Wonders and Jonah Hauer-King will also open in wide release on Friday.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Apple Finally Has a Box Office Hit With ‘F1.' What's Next for the Studio's Movie Strategy?
Champagne showers, a staple of Formula One races, may be reserved for the racetrack, but the mood at Apple was certainly celebratory over the weekend, as the big-budget 'F1' delivered the studio its first box office hit. The film, starring Brad Pitt as a has-been Formula One driver who gets coerced out of retirement, generated $57 million domestically and $146.3 million in its opening weekend. Though 'F1' cost roughly $250 million to produce and requires several laps around the track to turn a theatrical profit, these initial ticket sales are encouraging for an original, adult-skewing tentpole. More from Variety Brad Pitt's 'F1' Races to No. 1 at Korean Box Office Brad Pitt's 'F1' Outraced by 'Detective Conan' at China Box Office Box Office: 'F1' Revs to $144 Million Globally, 'Lilo & Stitch' Nears $950 Million Milestone It's also a much-needed win for Apple. Six years into the tech giant's foray into the movie business, the company has fielded underperforming auteur-driven fare (Martin Scorsese's pricey 'Killers of the Flower Moon,' Ridley Scott's equally expensive 'Napoleon') and critically derided flops ('Fly Me to the Moon' and 'Argylle') but nothing that's been remotely commercial. Apple seemed to be rethinking its film strategy after deciding to curtail the theatrical release of 2024's 'Wolfs,' a tepidly reviewed crime drama with Pitt and George Clooney, to avoid the stench of another cinematic stinker. So there was a growing internal sense that if a crowd-pleaser like 'F1' didn't work on the big screen, Apple would be forced to abandon the movie business in favor of television, where its successes include 'Severance' and 'Ted Lasso.' Though Apple's future film strategy won't hinge on a single film, insiders at the company now believe that momentum behind 'F1' gives Apple a reason to at least stay the course. ''F1' is going to be Apple's biggest release at the box office by far,' says David A. Gross, who runs the FranchiseRe movie consulting firm. 'This film looks like the successful business model Apple has envisioned and wanted to execute for several years.' Back in 2023, Apple pledged to spend $1 billion annually on theatrical films. However, the studio has yet to make good on those ambitions. After director Spike Lee's 'Highest 2 Lowest,' which will receive a two-week run in cinemas this August through A24, Apple has no other big movies on the calendar in 2025 or 2026. Several films are either in production or development, including 'Mayday,' an action adventure starring Ryan Reynolds,' and a UFO feature from 'F1' director Joseph Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Meanwhile, gears are turning on a potential sequel to 'F1,' according to knowledgable sources. Moving forward, will 'F1' embolden Apple to charge ahead with theatrical and cultivate a robust film slate? Or, after the long and winding three-year journey to produce 'F1,' is the company more inclined to slow down and remain selective, taking only a few big swings with the right property and right people? Here are four ways that Apple's film strategy could evolve in the wake of 'F1.' Apple could commit to the big screen in the vein of Amazon MGM, which plans to release at least a dozen new movies a year. This option would likely require Apple to build out a distribution team, which is only realistic if the company is crafting a full slate of theatrical releases. Even a deep-pocketed company like Apple wouldn't be able to justify the money, resources and manpower to staff offices around the globe with just one to three movies annually on the schedule. Advantages: Apple can control the quality of every facet of its distribution — from marketing to theater bookings — from top to bottom. In theory, theatrical hits could provide a halo effect to boost subscribers and viewership on Apple TV+ and move hardware sales that fuel its core business. Risks: There's a reason that only five to six studios have major global distribution arms; it's a massive undertaking to build the infrastructure. Disney, Universal and Warner Bros., for example, have hundreds if not thousands of employees staffed in regional offices around the world to handle the marketing, publicity and distribution of films in territories from China to the United Kingdom to the United Arab Emirates. Of course, nothing is cost-prohibitive to Apple with its $3 trillion market cap, but the company isn't in the business of making reckless financial decisions. Even Amazon MGM, after a few years of building up their domestic distribution branch, is partnering with Sony on the international rollout of upcoming films. Plus, who wants to be on the receiving end of box office scrutiny? Likelihood: Not very… at least not in the immediate future. Who says Apple wants to become the next Disney? Apple can certainly afford to cherry-pick projects, choosing only to work with top directors and major stars on films that meet a certain criteria. And the studio is clearly willing to be the highest bidder to lure talent. In the vein of 'F1,' the studio could continue to fund one or two movies a year that align with the company's values and initiatives (in the case of 'F1,' some of the footage was filmed using the same camera technology that's in the newest iPhones). If Mattel plans to make a movie about the card game Uno, who says AirPods can't be the next big screen star? Advantages: Apple doesn't have to invest big bucks into distribution, in case the company's future theatrical ambitions fail to pan out. Yes, Apple has all the money in the world, but its sterling reputation is the company's biggest commodity. So the studio doesn't want to be associated with flops. This path will allow Apple to be ultra selective while remaining what CEO Tim Cook describes as a 'toolmaker,' telling Variety in a recent cover story that 'we make tools for creative people to empower them to do things they couldn't do before.'Risks: Without a distribution team, Apple relies on other studios (Paramount, Sony, Universal and Warner Bros. among them) to put its movies in theaters. However, there's a risk of burning through distribution partners. That's because those film companies haven't been making money when Apple's movies fail to break even at the box office. In exchange for distribution efforts, studio partners have received a nominal 7-12% fee of the film's total global gross. But in the case of 'Argylle' (Universal), 'F1' (Warners) and 'Napoleon' and 'Fly Me to the Moon' (Sony), studios are splitting the upfront marketing costs with Apple, which could run $50 million to $75 million per studio per film. That's a lot of money for films like 'Argylle' and 'Fly Me to the Moon,' which failed to hit $100 million or even $50 million at the global box office (remember, theaters keep half of ticket sales too). And since theatrical releases are landing on Apple TV+ after leaving the big screen, rather than going to Peacock, HBO Max or Paramount+, there's not much of a downstream incentive for other studios, either. Likelihood: Very… at least in the immediate future. Call it the Netflix effect. Apple could follow in the path of the streaming giant and grant films a qualifying awards run in select theaters for a few weeks instead of mounting a massive global theatrical release. After all, Apple became the first streamer to take home the coveted best picture Oscar for 'CODA,' a movie most people only watched on Apple TV+. That would entail more prestige plays and fewer all-audience tentpoles in the future. Advantages: This allows Apple to avoid box office scrutiny. The company can spend however much it wants to attract filmmakers and stars without having to worry about an embarrassing financial flop to tarnish its brand. Already, Apple doesn't disclose the number of subscribers or financial results for Apple TV+, which it includes in its 'Services' segment along with revenue from music, games and the App Store. Risks: Theatrical has been a sticking point for major directors like Christopher Nolan and Greta Gerwig, and the big screen distinguishes Apple from Netflix, which doesn't grant traditional releases. And, as Netflix is quite familiar, most movie theater owners don't want to work with a company that views their business as an anachronism. So theater operators could refuse to play Apple's movies if the company doesn't commit to nationwide releases. (Of course, Apple could just buy a cinema like Netflix did with the Egyptian in Los Angeles and the Paris Theater in New York City). But worse, Apple would be risking its movies fading into obscurity. More people have been talking about 'F1' than have ever discussed Netflix titles like 'The Electric State,' 'Red Notice' or 'The Gray Man.' And if you've never heard of 'Fountain of Youth,' a kid-friendly heist adventure led by John Krasinski and Natalie Portman which Apple dropped directly on streaming in May, you'd be Probably not, unless Apple isn't interested in working with the Spielbergs or Nolans of the world. With $30 billion in cash reserves, Apple could buy a major studio or entertainment library. There's been speculation for years that Apple might acquire Disney but in truth, plenty of other film studios (Lionsgate or Warner Bros. included) would be more eager to sell off lots. Advantages: Making that kind of purchase means procuring an arsenal of intellectual property as well as in-house expertise in terms of developing and distributing films. Then there's the windfall that comes from owning extensive film libraries, which generate revenue from licensing movies that have long been in their vault. Risks: So far, Apple has opted against writing that kind of big check because Cook feels it goes against the ethos of the company. 'I know that's a faster way into the business, but it didn't feel like Apple at the end of the day,' Cook told Variety. 'Apple should have something that we pour our passion into.' Plus, buying an institution comes with institutional headaches; there are facets of the movie business that are clunky and outdated — meaning there are plenty of reasons that Apple wouldn't want to shoulder the financial and organizational burdens. Likelihood: Depends on the fit… Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why Robert De Niro's Mob Drama ‘Alto Knights' Is Such a Box Office Disaster
'The Alto Knights,' a crime thriller starring dueling Robert De Niros, made moviegoers an offer they easily refused. The Warner Bros. film was D.O.A. over the weekend with $3.2 million at the domestic box office, one of the worst-ever starts for a major studio release. 'The Alto Knights' also cratered overseas, earning $1.8 million for a bleak worldwide tally of $5.1 million. With a price tag above $45 million before marketing is taken into account, 'The Alto Knights' is already one of the year's biggest misfires. More from Variety Robert De Niro Shares TV Shows He Watches With His 'Discerning' Two-Year-Old Toddler: 'Ms. Rachel, The Wiggles, Blippi' Box Office: 'Snow White' Awakens With $16 Million Opening Day as 'Alto Knights' Bombs 'The Alto Knights' Director Barry Levinson Talks Dueling Robert De Niros, Creating Perfect Shots in 'The Natural' and Coaching Movie Stars to Great Performances Box office watchers, however, aren't exactly scratching their heads to figure out what went wrong. They believe 'The Alto Knights' hails from a genre — mobster movies — that's been sleeping with the fishes for decades. Then critics rebuked the film, which landed a poor 37% on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences, at least the few people who checked the film out, were kinder, giving it a 'B' grade on CinemaScore exit polls. Still, those mixed scores don't bode well for word-of-mouth. 'This kind of crime story has been out of style for years now,' says David A. Gross, who runs the FranchiseRe movie consulting firm. 'Current soft theatrical market conditions are not going to help it.' Directed by 'Wag the Dog' and 'Rain Man' filmmaker Barry Levinson and adapted by Nicholas Pileggi, best known for his work as a writer or producer on 'Goodfellas,' 'Casino' and 'The Irishman,' the movie follows De Niro as Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, childhood friends who became two of New York's most notorious organized crime bosses. For a film like 'The Alto Knights,' which already faces strong headwinds in this theatrical landscape, to have a shot at success, it needs rave reviews or potential awards chatter. Critics weren't on board, though, with several calling the choice to have De Niro star opposite himself was unnecessarily confusing. The Washington Post's Michael O'Sullivan described the stunt as 'not just unnecessary, it's supremely distracting.' ('It invites the question: Why?' he wrote in his review) and The New Yorker's Justin Chang simply referred to the double casting as an 'odd gimmick.' It's not like gangster movies were all the rage when Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav greenlit the film in 2022. His decision to grant the film a $45 million budget and theatrical release had prompted a few raised eyebrows on the studio lot at the time. Levinson, who began working on 'The Alto Knights' (formerly titled 'Wise Guys') with Pileggi and producer Irwin Winkler before the pandemic, told Variety that Pileggi's relationship with Zaslav had paved the way for the project to get made. 'Zaslav has known Nick, and somehow in a conversation [the film] came up, and Zaslav was intrigued by it,' Levinson said in an interview prior to the movie's release. 'That was sort of how it all came together.' The studio also thought 'The Alto Knights' could be another entry in De Niro's pantheon of much-loved gangster films, several of which (like 'Goodfellas' and 'Mean Streets') were produced by Warner Bros. For De Niro, 'The Alto Knights' represented a return to the genre that made him a star. The 81-year-old became an enduring A-lister after classic Mafia movies like 'The Godfather Part II,' 'The Untouchables,' 'Casino' and 'Goodfellas.' He's even parodied his deep association with Cosa Nostra cinema in the 'Analyze This' films. Yet it's a type of film that's 30 years past its sell-by date. Even Martin Scorsese's starry 'Killers of the Flower Moon,' a Western crime drama about the 1920 Oklahoma murders in the Osage Nation, struggled at the box office against a $200 million budget. And Leonardo DiCaprio starred in that film, which was nominated for several Oscars, alongside De Niro. Meanwhile Levinson's filmography over the past quarter-century has included such commercial misfires as 2015's comedy 'Rock the Kasbah,' 2014's drama 'The Humbling,' 2012's horror mockumentary 'The Bay' and 2006's political comedy 'Man of the Year.' The Oscar-winner's last significant theatrical hit was 1997's 'Wag the Dog,' which grossed $65 million against a $15 million budget. ''Alto Knights' is a film of a bygone Hollywood era. The director and star are no longer box office draws,' says Exhibitor Relations analyst Jeff Bock. 'Warner Bros. didn't do them any favors as they barely advertised the film. When a film doesn't have major studio support in this marketplace, it's bombs away at the box office.' So who went to see 'Alto Knights' in its opening weekend? Apparently, older white men and Canadians. According to exit polls, 60% of moviegoers were male and 60% were Caucasian (comparatively, 27% were Hispanic, 7% were Black, 3% were Asian and 3% were Native American). Nearly 90% were above the age of 25. Meanwhile three of the top four highest-grossing locations — Cineplex Queensway Toronto, Cineplex Winston Churchill Toronto, Cineplex Laval Montreal — were from America's Neighbors to the North. New York City and Los Angeles typically have the top-earning theaters in North America. 'Seems like Canadians turned out for an adult drama, something that is unfortunately becoming more and more of a rarity in the North American marketplace,' Bock said. 'The Alto Knights' is the second consecutive theatrical misfire for Warner Bros. after Bong Joon Ho's big budget sci-fi comedy 'Mickey 17.' Coincidentally, both films feature a lead actor named Robert who plays multiple parts in the same movie. (In 'Mickey 17,' Robert Pattinson portrays disposable employee whose body is able to regenerate for science.) In three weeks of release, 'Mickey 17' has earned $40 million domestically and $110 million worldwide. It's a respectable tally for the original swing, except that the film cost $118 million to produce. Since 'Mickey 17' needed to earn more like $275 million to $300 million to break even, it's now projected to lose $75 million to $80 million in its big screen run. The studio's fortunes should rebound in April with 'A Minecraft Movie,' a Jack Black-led adaptation of the popular video game that's tracking for a decent opening weekend. And later in the year, there's James Gunn's 'Superman' as well as follow-ups to 'Mortal Kombat,' 'Final Destination' and 'The Conjuring.' Yet Warner Bros. has several other big swings on the calendar, including Paul Thomas Anderson's $140 million 'One Battle After Another' and Ryan Coogler's $90 million vampire thriller 'Sinners.' In the interview before the debut of 'The Alto Knights,' Levinson seemed sanguine about the volatility of the movie industry, which he's been involved with for decades. 'There are a lot of obstacles in this business, and you just have to navigate it as best you can,' Levinson told Variety. 'But there are the moments when you say, 'Look, I've been able to do a lot of stories that interested me, and I was able to work with a lot of actors that I had a great, great working relationship with.' The downside is the downside. But that comes with the territory.'
