Ford v Ferrari is showing plenty of speed in its North American debut, while Charlie’s Angels can’t take flight.
James Mangold’s period race car pic — starring Christian Bale and Matt Damon — grossed $10.9 million on Friday from 3,258 theaters for a projected debut in the $28 million to $30 million range, ahead of expectations for 20th Century Fox and Disney. The movie, which has major Oscar ambitions, landed a coveted A+ CinemaScore from audiences.
Ford v Ferrari tells the real-life story of the two men who, in 1966, helped Henry Ford II and his Ford Motor Co. become the first American company to win Le Mans, the world’s most prestigious race. The critically acclaimed film is skewing male so far (62 percent), while 56 percent of Friday ticket buyers were 35 and older.
Produced by Chernin Entertainment, Ford v Ferrari cost $97 million to produce before marketing.
Charlie’s Angels, the weekend’s other new high-profile offering, is turning into a major disappointment for Sony and director Elizabeth Banks. The pic earned $3.1 million from 3,542 cinemas on Friday for a projected domestic opening of $8.2 million, well behind expectations.
The $50 million movie, starring Kirsten Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska as globe-trotting spies trying to stop an international criminal plot, is relying on younger females, including teens. However, that demo isn’t showing up in force.
The reboot of the iconic TV series and subsequent movie adaptations opens 16 years after the big-screen sequel Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, starring Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu, debuted to $37 million, not adjusted for inflation.
Charlie’s Angels earned a B+ CinemaScore from audiences after receiving mediocre reviews.
Also opening nationwide is Warner Bros. and Bill Condon’s The Good Liar, starring Ian McKellen as a con artist who targets a wealthy widow, played by Helen Mirren. The movie, earning tepid reviews and a B CinemaScore, looks to come in No. 8 with $5 million.
Meanwhile, Warners’ Doctor Sleep is not showing any signs of recovery in its second weekend. The Stephen King adaptation looks to slip 58 percent to $6 million.
The studio still has good reason to celebrate this weekend as Todd Phillips’ Joker crosses the $1 billion mark globally to become one of the most profitable superhero pics in history.
At the specialty box office, writer-director Trey Edward Shults’ critically acclaimed Waves is on course for a solid opening screen average of $37,000-plus as it opens in New York and Los Angeles. The A24 drama about a South Florida family stars Kelvin Harrison Jr., Sterling K. Brown, Lucas Hedges, Taylor Russell, Alexa Demie and Renée Elise Goldsberry.
Nov. 16, 7:45 a.m. Updated with Friday grosses and revised weekend estimates.
