Jordan Peele’s horror film could ease the upcoming end-of-summer slowdown, but only if audiences embrace its disturbing alien tale
After the steep fall for “Thor: Love and Thunder” this past weekend, it’s clear that the summer bonanza the box office has enjoyed is coming to an end. Now it’s up to films like Universal/Monkeypaw’s “Nope”To ease the burden on theaters during the slower August and September.
There’s a lot of anticipation among horror buffs and cinephiles for Jordan Peele’s third horror film, but the question is whether it will be able to expand to a larger audience like the filmmaker’s breakthrough 2017 debut, “Get Out.”As we mentioned Monday, “Get Out”The movie became a cultural phenomenon that was so popular it was seen in theaters along with blockbusters from other franchises. “Logan”It is up against it. “Us,”On the other hand, it performed more like a horror film with a frontloaded run and still achieved the highest opening weekend ever for an original movie of this genre with $70million.
Current data suggests that “Nope”These two films will open at an estimated $47-$50million. A budget of $68 Million. “Nope”Universal should see a decent success with this film. But to be as big a hit as Peele’s past work and to provide solid support for theaters through early August, “Nope”Strong word-of mouth is essential.
Critics have heaped plenty of praise on the film’s cast, led by Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer as siblings on a Hollywood horse ranch that’s attacked by aliens. However, “Get Out”The concept was simple and rooted in current racial themes. “Nope”Takes inspiration from sci-fi films such as “Alien”And “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” where the nature of the alien threatening the film’s heroes isn’t entirely explained.
Although early reviews are positive, there have not been many complaints about this product. 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes as of writing, we will have to see if wider audiences beyond Peele’s fan baseAnd horror devotees embrace a narrative that’s more opaque and, in some senses, more viscerally disturbing than “Get Out” and “Us.”
As with “Thor: Love and Thunder,”For more information, keep an eye on PostTrak ratings and CinemaScore. “Nope.” If CinemaScore grades come in at an A or A-, there’s a chance for some strong legs heading into August. But if the grade is a B — as was the case for “Us” — expect drops of around 50% in each successive weekend.
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