First came “Otto.” Not it’s time for Brady.
The number 1 movie Monday and Tuesday was “80 for Brady,” starring a quartet of lively, sexy older movie stars including Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Sally Field, and Rita Moreno. Just retired NFL superstar Tom Brady lends his name to the title, his likeness to some scenes, and a cameo at the end.
Yesterday, “80 for Brady” made $2.5 million, bringing its total since last Friday to $16.4 million. The mildly raunchy comedy — with PG-13 jokes — is a hit. In theaters, of all places.
“80 for Brady,” released by Paramount, is proving a point. Audiences will come to theaters and see movies for adults if they look like they’re fun and they’re well marketed. This film offers four big name stars with many Oscars and other awards among them. It also has the hook of lots of football footage interspersed with the ladies’ antics. For a studio, it’s a perfect juxtaposition.
The “80 for Brady” success comes on the heels of another movie for adults with a big star pulling audiences to theaters. That’s Tom Hanks as “A Man Called Otto,” the surprise hit of dreary January, now up to $54 million. Genial is the word here. “Otto” is about a likeable curmudgeon who despite his griping has a heart of gold. Hanks has two Oscars, which doesn’t hurt. I ran into him a lot over Grammy weekend, and he’s as surprised as anyone else. He told me, “We just have people something they wanted.”
Indeed.
