What’s a better look than Batman scowling in a cape and cowl? Sandra Bullock slinging zings in a spangly fuchsia jumpsuit.
She’s even more appealing when trading barbs and japes with Channing Tatum as they race through the jungle in an old fashioned, idiotic (but in a good way) adventure picture. It also doesn’t hurt that Tatum has his shirt off for what feels like a solid 35 percent of the film’s running time. We’ll need a second viewing with a stopwatch to check that stat.
All of which to say that The Lost City, a devilishly daffy film from Aaron and Adam Nee in which a romance novelist and her lunkhead cover model end up in a real life treasure hunting caper, is projected to be the winner at the box office this weekend. The Hollywood Reporter wrote that it will tally $31 million domestically compared to $20.5 million for Robert Pattinson’s turn as the Dark Knight Detective. The Batman had three strong weeks in the number one spot, earning a Wayne-worthy fortune of $332 million domestic before it met the unstoppable force of Sandra Bullock in a zany comedy.
THR added that not only did The Lost City (which co-stars Daniel Radcliffe, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Patti Harrison, and, in a brief but clutch role, Brad Pitt) over-perform in its projections, it did phenomenally well with women. Friday’s ticket sales reportedly went 60/40 to women, with 47 percent of them over the age of 35. This demographic has been, according to Deadline, “cautious about moviegoing during the pandemic.”
If I may editorialize, maybe give them a reason to show up—like Tatum and Bullock exuding bonafide star power in something other than another superhero picture—and you’ll see the results at the cash register! But I don’t make these decisions.
Elsewhere at cinemas, RRR, a period action movie from India, came in third place. Variety estimated its weekend total may be as high as $15 million. This is the biggest domestic debut for a Bollywood production, and is further evidence that foreign-language films of a more populist nature can make a killing with targeted releases in North America. (The Telugu-language film also broke records for its opening day in India.)
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