Ryan Gosling’s latest film “The Fall Guy” has had a disappointing opening weekend at the box office, grossing only $10.4 million domestically on its opening day. Despite positive reviews, the movie is projected to make just $28 million over the weekend, falling short of expectations. With a reported production budget of $130 million, “The Fall Guy” will need to make over $100 million more to break even. This puts the film behind other recent Universal Pictures flops such as “Argyle” and “Night Swim”.
The movie, directed by David Leitch and starring Gosling alongside Emily Blunt and Hannah Waddingham, was expected to be a hit with analysts projecting a $40 million opening weekend. Universal executives were hoping to capitalize on the popularity of Gosling, known as the “Gosling factor”. However, the film’s performance at the box office has not lived up to these high expectations. Despite this, not all of Universal’s recent releases have been disappointments. For example, the fourth installment of “Kung Fu Panda” grossed nearly $58 million in its opening weekend, while Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” pulled in $82.4 million.
Despite its slow start at the box office, “The Fall Guy” has received positive reviews from critics. With an 83% critics’ rating and an 84% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as a 73/100 critics’ rating on MetaCritic, the film has been praised for Gosling’s performance as a charismatic stuntman. The New York Times lauded Gosling’s charm and agility in the role, while highlighting Blunt’s underused presence in the film. People magazine also praised the action romance, calling it “funny, heroic, and unexpectedly touching”.
Universal Pictures is hoping that “The Fall Guy” will pick up momentum in the coming weeks and improve its box office performance. With positive reviews and a strong lead performance from Ryan Gosling, the studio is optimistic that the film will attract more audience members in the weeks to come. Despite its initial struggles, “The Fall Guy” has the potential to become a sleeper hit and recoup its production costs in the long run. Fans of action-packed thrillers and Ryan Gosling’s dedicated fan base may help propel the film to success in the coming weeks.