Summary
- Gosling and Blunt shine in The Fall Guy, but disappointing box office results show the movie’s struggle to find its audience.
- Despite positive reviews, The Fall Guy falls short of box office expectations with an opening weekend earning less than projected.
- Directed by David Leitch, The Fall Guy’s $130-$150 million budget may make its disappointing $28 million opening weekend even more concerning.
Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt are taking a fall, thanks to The Fall Guy‘s disappointing box office results. Gosling plays Colt Seavers, a stuntman who suffered a career-ending injury. After attempting to return to the industry, Colt quickly learns that there is a conspiracy afoot, and he needs to discover the truth behind a mysterious murder. Blunt plays director Jody Moreno. The Fall Guy was directed by Bullet Train director David Leitch.
Despite The Fall Guy‘s positive reviews, it has not been as successful as Gosling might have hoped. According to a report by Deadline, The Fall Guy will only earn $28 million in its opening weekend. The movie was projected to earn $30 million, which makes this opening disappointing. The total is especially worrying, given that the budget was approximately $130 million to $150 million.
The Fall Guy’s Difficult Opening Weekend Box Office Total
Can The Fall Guy Recover?
The slow opening is a major issue for The Fall Guy, which had a massive budget. If it wants to achieve profitability, Fall Guy will need to earn over $300 million. This poses a difficult challenge. Should it continue to struggle through its theatrical run, there is still some potential for the movie to profit, however. The streaming landscape has been changing the formula, and a well-reviewed movie can earn a second life on streaming platforms. It is likely to eventually move to Peacock, where it can draw more attention in a more convenient medium for audiences.
The Fall Guy‘s strongest competition was Challengers, which will earn just $8.7 million this weekend.
Even theatrically, there is still good reason to believe that The Fall Guy can recover from its opening weekend. Its reviews have been exceptional, having secured an A- CinemaScore rating and an 83% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes. It has also earned an 86% audience score, which will likely promote positive word-of-mouth. Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt are also major Hollywood stars, and they can continue to draw attention. It was a slow box office week that saw only $73 million overall, and the total could rise considerably in more accessible weeks.
Related
The Fall Guy Soundtrack Guide: Every Song & When They Play
Hit rock songs from the 80s and 90s, Taylor Swift, and more make up The Fall Guy’s soundtrack. Here’s when each song plays in the movie.
The 2024 box office has been slow, compared to 2023, and Gosling’s latest movie has not broken that trend. Next week, however, should see some more success in theaters as Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is likely to draw audiences. The Fall Guy will need to compete against the latest iteration of the Planet of the Apes franchise, which could prove difficult. Streaming provides a comfortable fall-back, but The Fall Guy will need to catch itself before it tumbles through the rest of its run.
Source: Deadline
The Fall Guy
The Fall Guy is an action thriller from Bullet Train and Deadpool 2 director David Leitch. Ryan Gosling stars as a stuntman who is forced to find a missing movie star, investigate a conspiracy, and repair his relationship with the love of his life. The film was written by Drew Pearce and inspired by the 1980s TV series of the same name.
Director
David Leitch
Release Date
May 3, 2024
Studio(s)
Universal Pictures
, Entertainment 360
, 87North Productions
Distributor(s)
Universal Pictures
Writers
Drew Pearce