Key Takeaways:
– Lionsgate's film, The Crow, opened with a disappointing $650K earning on Thursday previews.
– The movie is not expected to make much more over its opening weekend.
– This is a significant blow for Lionsgate, following the recent controversy over false quotes used for another movie's trailer.
– Blink Twice, a film with lesser buzz, outperformed The Crow at the Thursday box office.
Lionsgate Studio is struggling. After a series of mishaps, such as the infamous release of Madame Web and the controversy surrounding Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis, the studio's latest release, The Crow, debuted with underwhelming numbers.
Underwhelming Debut for The Crow
Directed by Rupert Sanders and built off a popular 90s franchise, The Crow was supposed to resurrect Lionsgate's spirits. But unfortunately, the movie could only muster a meagre $650K at the early Thursday previews. And the future doesn't look any brighter with the weekend projections hinting at a single-digit opening.
The film, starring Bill Skarsgård and featuring the famous musician FKA Twigs, failed to impress fans of the original 1994 film starring Brandon Lee. The film currently has a disappointing 19% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and its audience rating is still in limbo.
When Lionsgate Lifted their Embargo
It was a red flag when Lionsgate lifted their embargo on screening the movie on the same day when screenings began. Chris Bumbray, our EIC, gave the film a lukewarm review, saying it had some great set pieces but was also frustratingly uneven and poorly paced. Despite its drawbacks, he did not dismiss the gothic actioner entirely.
Blink Twice Beats The Crow on Debut Night
Despite the attention given to The Crow, it was outperformed by Zoe Kravitz's directorial debut, Blink Twice. The latter, with less buzz, managed to accumulate more at the box-office, totaling $820K in early Thursday previews.
In contrast to The Crow's poor ratings, Blink Twice boasts a 77% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite its faults, Tyler Nichols, one of our writers, praised the film for having a distinct vision and a good story, though he felt a few adjustments could have elevated the film to greatness.
A Tough Month for Lionsgate
This has, indeed, been a tough month for Lionsgate. The studio, which had high hopes with some significant releases, has faced disappointment after disappointment. The underwhelming performance of The Crow has only added to their existing worries.
In the coming days, it will be interesting to see how Lionsgate tries to bounce back from these series of unfortunate events. However, for now, it seems the studio needs a major hit to regain its glory.
Time will tell whether Lionsgate can sail through this storm unscathed. It's a situation reminiscent of the iconic Hans Christian Andersen's story – it's during storms that we see who can withstand the wind, and unfortunately for Lionsgate, their feathers seem ruffled.
