Entertainment

Box office: ‘No Time to Die’ debuts slightly behind expectations with US$56m


Actor Daniel Craig poses for photographers on the red carpet at the German premiere of the new James Bond 007 film ‘Spectre’ in Berlin October 28, 2015. — Reuters pic
Actor Daniel Craig poses for photographers on the red carpet at the German premiere of the new James Bond 007 film ‘Spectre’ in Berlin October 28, 2015. — Reuters pic

LOS ANGELES, Oct 10 —  No Time to Die, the latest instalment in the James Bond franchise, debuted to US$56 million (RM233.5 million) at the domestic box office, a result that fell somewhat short of expectations and signals that even one of the most storied brands in film history is still being forced to contend with a moviegoing landscape that has been dramatically altered by the pandemic.

Heading into the weekend, No Time to Die was projected to make US$60 million to US$70 million in its first three days of release. Though not a disaster, the film’s final weekend total was expected to be higher because it received positive reviews and represented Daniel Craig’s final outing as the stylish secret agent.

In light of the ongoing pandemic, assessing initial box office results for No Time to Die isn’t as clear cut. For some movies, especially during a public health crisis, an opening weekend of US$56 million would be cause for great jubilation. But No Time to Die is no ordinary film. It carries a massive US$250 million production budget, to say nothing of the more than US$100 million marketing spend. Add in the tens of millions it cost to delay No Time to Die, which was supposed to premiere in April of 2020 before the pandemic altered those plans, and box office experts estimate that, conservatively, No Time to Die needs to gross at least US$800 million at the global box office to make money in its theatrical window. For Bond, the franchise has numerous marketing partners and ancillary tie-ins, with Rolex, Aston Martin and more, that could help cushion potential losses.

Overseas, audiences have been turning out for No Time to Die at the international box office, where it has already made an impressive US$145 million. Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga (True Detective), the 007 adventure has opened in most major markets except for China (set for October 29), which is a popular territory for all things Bond. Globally, the film has collected US$313 million.

At the domestic box office, the slightly muted results for No Time to Die are attributable to several factors, including hesitation among older audiences to return to the movies and its lengthy two-hour-and-45-minute runtime, which limited the number of screenings per day. It’s also the first Hollywood tentpole with real competition at the box office. Sony’s comic book sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage opened last weekend and has continued to pull in crowds, which may have cannibalised ticket sales for Bond.

With No Time to Die claiming the No. 1 spot on domestic box office charts, the Venom follow-up slid to second place with US$32 million, a figure that’s more than many pandemic-era releases have made in their entire theatrical run. In total, Venom: Let There Be Carnage has generated a mighty US$141 million in North America and US$185 million worldwide.

Since Bond is a property that tends to skewed toward older audiences, a demographic that doesn’t always make an effort to watch a film on its opening weekend, box office analysts have been encouraged by No Time to Die. According to United Artists Releasing, the company distributing the film in the US, 25 per cent of ticket buyers returned to theatres for the first time in more than 18 months for Bond. Among opening weekend crowds, 57 per cent were over the age of 35 and 64 per cent were male. It has an “A-” CinemaScore, a positive sign for the movie’s long-term prospects.

“The audience is broad, with all age groups and segments well-represented, including the 35+ crowd, who have been slow to return to the movies,” says David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “If anything kept the film from over-performing this weekend, it is the younger groups, who are less committed to the series.”

In a distant third place on domestic charts, The Addams Family 2 generated US$10 million, bringing its North American total to US$31.1 million. The animated family comedy, from MGM and United Artists Releasing, is being offered simultaneously on premium video-on-demand platforms.

Disney’s superhero adventure Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings landed at No. 4 with US$4.2 million in its sixth weekend in theatres. Globally, the Marvel comic book adaptation has surpassed US$400 million worldwide, making it the sixth-highest grossing film of the year. With US$212 million in North America, it remains the highest earning movie of 2021 at the domestic box office.

The Many Saints of Newark, a prequel to The Sopranos, rounded out the top five with a paltry US$1.4 million in its sophomore outing. That puts ticket sales for the Warner Bros. movie, which premiered day-and-date on HBO Max, at a dismal US$7.4 million. It cost US$50 million to make. — Variety.com via Reuters



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