'The Fall Guy' Misses Box Office Expectations As 'The Challengers' Falls Against Star Wars Re-Release

Topline

Ryan Gosling’s “The Fall Guy” missed sales expectations in its opening weekend and fell relatively flat for the first large release of the summer box office season, multiple outlets reported Sunday, but the action-packed comedy was still the top-grossing film as a re-release of 1999’s “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” came in second to top Zendaya’s “Challengers.”

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Ryan Gosling in a scene from “The Fall Guy.” © Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Key Facts

“The Fall Guy,” a film about stunt performers based on the 1980s TV series of the same name, grossed $28.5 million domestically to fall just short of estimates that had the film slated to bring in between $30 million and $40 million at the box office in its opening weekend.

In second place, a re-release of “The Phantom Menace” timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the film’s initial debut and May 4—also known as Star Wars Day—grossed $8.1 million, a particularly impressive draw considering the movie’s 52% critics score and its wide availability on at-home streaming platforms.

“Challengers” starring Zendaya, which premiered last weekend to become her highest-rated film ever before its critics’ score fell slightly in its opening week, was in third place on the weekend with $7.6 million in sales.

In fourth place was “Tarot,” a horror flick with a paltry 12% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, which grossed $6.5 million, while “Godzilla x Kong: A New Empire” pulled in $4.5 million in its sixth weekend to become the year’s second-highest-grossing movie.

Big Number

83%. That’s the critics score on Rotten Tomatoes for “The Fall Guy,” a decent reception despite its less-than-stellar box office performance. Critics have praised the film for its stunts and the “playful chemistry” of its lead actors (Gosling and Emily Blunt).

Surprising Fact

Despite falling short in its opening weekend, “The Fall Guy” is one of the better opening weekends for a Gosling film. Last summer’s blockbuster hit “Barbie” was a rare standout for the star with a $162 million opening, but most of his other hits fell below “The Fall Guy” in their first weekend—”La La Land” opened to $881,000 in 2016, “Crazy, Stupid, Love” had a $19.1 million opening in 2011 (the equivalent of $26.4 million today) and “The Notebook” grossed $13.4 million in 2004 (about $22 million today). “Blade Runner 2049” with Harrison Ford and Ana de Armas did trump “The Fall Guy” with $32.7 million in 2017.

What To Watch For

Next week’s “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” release is expected to have a $54 million opening, according to Deadline, which would make it the biggest opening weekend in May. Other films expected to rake in the cash this summer include “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.”

Further Reading

VarietyBox Office: ‘The Fall Guy’ Kicks Off Summer Movie Season With Disappointing $28 Million DebutDeadline‘The Fall Guy’ Stumbles To $28M+ Opening – Sunday AM UpdateMORE FROM FORBES‘The Fall Guy’ On Track For $40 Million Opening-Still Well Behind $130 Million BudgetBy Brian Bushard