Big stars still meaning something at the movies.
Dwayne Johnson aka the Rock brought in $67 million this weekend with his “Black Adam.” Critics and bloggers didn’t think much of it, but the audience ate it up. “Black Adam” will hit $100 million pretty quickly, and it revives the DC Extended Universe instantly.
More big stars: “Ticket to Paradise,” Julia Roberts and George Clooney’s travelogue to Bali, is a forgettable film. But it’s comfort food, which these days no one will reject. Total weekend is almost $17 million. Maybe they can sequels where they bicker around the world at different locales. (Too bad the writers didn’t give them other children to fight over.)
So are audiences flocking back to theaters? Yes, when they have movie stars to see on the big screen. Also with rom-coms, you have to have stars who like each other in real life and have no personal baggage. Clooney and Roberts have “clean” personal lives, unlike some others.
Also, the movie should at least make sense and pay off its expectations. Apparently, “Halloween Ends” did not do that. It’s down 80% from the first weekend because “Halloween” fans just don’t like it. Case closed!
