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“Dear Evan Hansen,” Universal Pictures’ adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, has not struck a chord with moviegoers.
Marked by negative reviews and concerns over COVID-19, the film fell short of expectations and raised a muted $ 7.5 million from 3,365 North American theaters in its debut. Industry experts have predicted that the musical will bring in at least $ 10 million between Friday and Sunday.
Even if the film seems unlikely to make a profit in theaters, the losses will not be catastrophic. “Dear Evan Hansen” cost $ 28 million to produce, a modest budget for a musical. This puts Universal in a much better position compared to its latest musical, “Cats,” which opened at $ 6.5 million in late 2019 and ultimately lost the studio nearly all of its $ 100 million budget. of dollars.
The critical response to “Dear Evan Hansen” was very different from the rave reviews that greeted the 2016 stage version, which won six Tony Awards and cemented Ben Platt as a star. It underscores the struggle to bring even commercially popular musicals to the big screen. Earlier in the summer, the well-revised adaptation of Warner Bros. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit show “In the Heights” struggled to draw crowds while simultaneously debuting on HBO Max. The splashing song and dance show cost $ 55 million, nearly double the amount Universal spent on “Dear Evan Hansen,” and opened at $ 11.5 million. It ended its box office with $ 29 million in the US and Canada and $ 43 million globally, losing millions to the studio.
Platt reprized his role of Evan Hansen, an anxious high school student who finds himself entangled in a lie that spirals out of control. Many have criticized the choice of the cast because Platt is 27 and doesn’t look like a teenager. The public, at least the few who bought a ticket on opening weekend, seemed less distracted by a high school student with the 5 o’clock shadow. Cinephiles gave the film an “A-” CinemaScore, which is exponentially better than its 33% on Rotten Tomatoes. About 62% of clients were women, while 53% were, like Platt, over 25.
“Dear Evan Hansen” only plays in theaters, which could help ticket sales. Since Universal struck a rare deal with movie chains last year to get its films online earlier than usual, the coming-of-age story will be coming to premium video-streaming platforms. ask October 14.
“We have had very good reactions from the public, especially with young women,” said Jim Orr, president of national distribution for Universal. “We hope that indicates a good race from here.”
Given the disappointing participation of “Dear Evan Hansen”, reigning box office champion “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” had no trouble staying at the top of the national charts, even during his fourth weekend out. The Disney and Marvel Superhero Adventure added $ 13.3 million in ticket sales, bringing its national total to a pandemic record $ 196.5 million.
After this weekend’s haul, “Shang-Chi” topped its other Marvel Cinematic Universe episode “Black Widow” ($ 183 million) as the highest grossing film of the year. Unlike “Shang-Chi,” Scarlett Johansson’s “Black Widow” wasn’t available exclusively in theaters. The film premiered simultaneously on Disney Plus (for an additional $ 30), where it grossed at least $ 125 million. A few weeks ago, Johansson sued Disney and alleged that the film’s hybrid release depressed box office ticket sales and reduced his pay.
In third place, Disney’s sci-fi comedy “Free Guy” grossed $ 4.1 million across 3,175 sites. After nearly two months in theaters, the Ryan Reynolds-directed film grossed $ 114 million at the domestic box office and $ 317.4 million worldwide. This is a particularly promising result as this is original property and not part of an existing movie franchise. The studio has previously hinted at plans for a sequel.
Universal’s slasher film “Candyman” landed in fourth place with $ 2.5 million from 2,556 locations across North America. So far, the film has raised $ 56.8 million in the United States and Canada and $ 73 million worldwide.
Western “Cry Macho” by Clint Eastwood rounded out the top five. The Warner Bros. movie, which premiered simultaneously on HBO Max, was down 52% from its opening and grossed $ 2.1 million from 4,022 sites. He has grossed an anemic $ 8.3 million since his debut last weekend.
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