In a lukewarm start to the summer movie season, "The Fall Guy," starring Ryan Gosling, opened below expectations with $28.5 million at the box office, according to studio estimates. The action-comedy film, directed by David Leitch, had been anticipated to open between $30 million to $40 million. Despite positive reviews and a strong start overseas, the film will need sustained interest to cover its $130 million production budget.
The opening of "The Fall Guy" reflects broader concerns within the film industry, particularly the waning dominance of superhero films at the box office. As studios seek fresher alternatives, the modest start for "The Fall Guy" suggests a challenging road ahead for the movie business to replicate the success of past summer blockbusters.
Meanwhile, the Walt Disney Co. rerelease of "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" surprised as the second-highest grossing film over the weekend, collecting $8.1 million. Last week's top film, "Challengers," slid to third place with $7.6 million in its second week, while the new release "Tarot" opened with $6.5 million.
With fewer big movies hitting theaters this summer and expectations of a lower total box office revenue, analysts anticipate a nontraditional season ahead. Despite the strong audience scores and positive reviews for "The Fall Guy," the film's performance underscores the changing landscape of the movie industry and the challenges of reviving the fervor of past summer movie seasons.
Overall, the opening weekend box office results reflect a mixed start to the summer movie season, with some films exceeding expectations while others fall short. The true test will be how these films fare in the coming weeks as audiences continue to return to theaters in a post-pandemic world.