Let’s face it, everyone got used to “Joker” killing it at the box office.
But looming in the distance was this weekend, with disasters coming from three studios.
Warner Bros., Lions Gate, and Universal will all take it on the chin this weekend after last night’s dreadful previews.
Warner’s “Doctor Sleep,” billed as a sequel to “The Shining,” made just $1.5 million last night. Apparently, it put everyone to sleep. Indeed, sleep cliche titles will be the game of the weekend. “Doctor Sleep Like an Ambien at Box Office” would be cute. How about “Pillow Talk”? Or “Doctor Sleep Is a Snore”?
Universal picked up $575,000 last for “Last Christmas,” a gigantic insulin overdose starring two of this year’s hot performers– Emilia Clarke from “Game of Thrones” and Henry Golding from “Crazy Rich Asians.” It looks like a bad Hallmark presentation. This goes straight to TV, maybe to Hallmark.
And “Midway”– from Roland Emmerich– why was this movie made? Does anyone care? Just $925,000 in previews? With a $125,000 budget, “Midway” is going to get strafed. There are a lot of seriously nice actors, all talented, including Woody Harrelson and Patrick Wilson, with singin’ Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Aaron Eckhart, and so on. But why oh why? Think “Red Tails.” These movies look goofy now. Go to TCM for the real ones if you’re crazy World War II adventure.
Meantime, a great movie, “The Irishman,” continues to sell out its tiny theater run in anticipation of heading to TV. This is an upside down season!
