Steven Spielberg’s rave-reviewed remake of “West Aspect Story” arrived to an estimated $10.5 million in North American ticket gross sales, a feeble outcome — even by pandemic requirements — that added to alarm in Hollywood concerning the theatrical viability of movies that aren’t visible effects-driven fantasy spectacles or new chapters in ongoing franchises.
However there was additionally a camp that cautioned in opposition to making any speedy assessments. Musicals usually get off to a gradual begin, much more so when they’re launched in mid-December. Fueled by constructive phrase of mouth and awards consideration, they will flip into little engines that might. Golden Globe nominations will probably be introduced on Monday.
“The Best Showman,” for example, collected $8.8 million over its first three days in home theaters in December 2017 and was insta-written off as a field workplace embarrassment. Then the soundtrack caught fireplace amongst younger girls. “The Best Showman,” which price $84 million to make, completed its six-month run in theaters with $437 million in worldwide ticket gross sales.
In a outcomes electronic mail on Sunday, Disney, which launched “West Aspect Story” on its twentieth Century Studios label, famous that ticket consumers gave the movie an A grade in CinemaScore exit polls. Indicators of viewers sentiment “all bode properly for the long term forward by way of the upcoming vacation season,” the corporate mentioned.
In launch in 37 worldwide markets, together with in some international locations the place the Omicron variant has prompted governments to tighten safeguards, “West Aspect Story” took in $4.4 million. The movie’s world complete to this point, $14.9 million, missed Disney’s prerelease hope of $25 million by roughly 40 p.c.
“West Aspect Story,” primarily based on the 1957 Broadway musical, price an estimated $100 million to remake, not together with tens of tens of millions of {dollars} in advertising prices. Tony Kushner tailored the screenplay.
In america and Canada, turnout for “West Aspect Story” was largest amongst ticket consumers over the age of 55. About 82 p.c of the nationwide viewers got here earlier than 8 p.m., based on EntTelligence, a movie analysis agency.
“This can be a story about an interracial romance,” David A. Gross, who runs the movie consultancy Franchise Leisure Analysis, mentioned in an electronic mail on Sunday. “As soon as upon a time, that was uncommon and noteworthy. Not any extra. For moviegoers, context could have caught up with this movie, nonetheless well-made it’s.” (The filmmaking staff and plenty of critics would counter that “West Aspect Story” additionally tackles social points, notably intolerance, which are as well timed as ever. Reviewing the movie for The New York Occasions, A.O. Scott mentioned Spielberg’s tackle the fabric “reaffirms its indelible attraction whereas making it really feel daring, shocking and new.”)
Amongst A-list filmmakers, Spielberg is among the final streaming holdouts. Though his firm, Amblin, signed a multiyear deal in June to make function movies for Netflix, Spielberg has pushed for his directorial initiatives to stay theatrical exclusives. On the New York Metropolis premiere of “West Aspect Story,” he thanked Disney executives for giving his movie an old school theatrical rollout, regardless of the pandemic, fairly than rerouting it to a streaming service, as the corporate had notably accomplished with “Hamilton.” (On Thursday, Disney eliminated a Ben Affleck thriller, “Deep Water,” from its January theatrical launch schedule; the film is predicted to stream on Amazon Prime or Hulu as an alternative.)
So it was distressing for Hollywood traditionalists to see “West Aspect Story” arrive to even decrease ticket gross sales than “Within the Heights.” That euphorically reviewed Warner Bros. musical took in $11.5 million over its first three days in theaters in June — despite the fact that it was concurrently out there to stream at no additional price on HBO Max. Field workplace analysts used phrases like “fizzled” and “dismal” to explain opening-weekend ticket gross sales for “Within the Heights.”
Reside-action musicals have lengthy been a challenged style on the field workplace. However they will nonetheless be winners, particularly if they’ve starry casts. “The Best Showman” had Hugh Jackman, Zendaya, Michelle Williams and Zac Efron. The profitable “Les Misérables (2012) had Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham Carter. Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Johnny Depp and others powered “Into the Woods” (2014) to $31 million in opening-weekend ticket gross sales. (One exception: Common’s all-star “Cats.”)
“Within the Heights,” in distinction, lacked family names. Ditto “Pricey Evan Hansen,” which face-planted in September. And “West Aspect Story” solely has one confirmed field workplace star: Spielberg.