Crazy Rich Asians has many reasons to celebrate and that should continue this weekend as it’s likely to maintain the number one spot for the second weekend in a row. Also on deck is The Happytime Murders which had some momentum weeks ago when its subject matter made headlines but that has cooled significantly as its release date approached.
Crazy Rich Asians has received stellar word of mouth since opening last Wednesday and has grossed $44.4 million as of Tuesday. This one is a lock for $100-110 million by the end of its run and what is proving to be the case with the film is that it’s seeing big turnouts in big cities, which is further driving its box office success.
The Happytime Murders doesn’t have enough pull to really take the focus away from Crazy Rich Asians which will allow it to play like it’s still the only game in town. I’m not sure if Warner Bros. knew this was the right timeframe to release the film but that’s proving to be the case as it’s likely to even rule next weekend’s Labor Day box office. I’m calling about $18 million for the weekend with another week at number one.
It has been a decent to mediocre year for comedies with most seeing steadily modest results but not true blockbuster status and that’s likely to continue with the release of The Happytime Murders, which makes summer’s last stand for comedy. Jim Henson’s son Brian Henson directs off Todd Berger’s script in a story where puppets co-inhabit the human world in modern Los Angeles. Celebrity puppets from an ’80s children show are getting picked off in a killing spree, and it’s up to P.I. and former cop Phil Philips to reteam with his former partner Detective Connie Edwards (Melissa McCarthy) to find out what’s going on. Elizabeth Banks, Maya Rudolph, and Joel McHale also star.
The film achieved some media attention a few weeks ago when the people behind Sesame Street tried suing the creators of the film for referencing the brand’s name in their marketing material with the tagline “No Sesame. All Street.” The film is obviously raunchy, with a trailer that definitely pushed boundaries and the children’s program didn’t want to be associated with the more adult concept. They ended up losing the lawsuit and since then the momentum for The Happytime Murders has tapered off a bit.
A media and audience screening at the Hollywood Arclight on Monday night played to great laughs, with those in attendance applauding the comedy for doing something different in a year where comedies are playing it safe. Comparisons have been made to 2016’s Sausage Party, which saw some of our favorite foods put in hilarious and raunchy situations. That film opened to an impressive $34.2 million and finished with $97.7 million in the states. It also was well-reviewed with an 82% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
As of this writing, the Rotten Tomatoes score for The Happytime Murders has not been revealed but I have a feeling it won’t be met with the reviews that Sausage Party received. If anything, I think the critical reaction will be mixed if the two reviews I read today are any indication (The Hollywood Reporter enjoyed it, Variety ripped it apart). Also, compared to Sausage Party‘s tracking, The Happytime Murders has lower awareness in the total and unaided categories, with the movie skewing slightly female; McCarthy’s audience. Sausage Party leaned toward young guys. This is also the second summer release for McCarthy who had Life Of The Party released back in May. That comedy fell into the decent but not outstanding category for the genre with an opening of $17.9 million and a $52.8 million finish. The Happytime Murders should open decently but its future prospects will likely be depending on its word of mouth. I’m predicting about $14-16 million for the weekend.
There is a robot dog movie also opening this weekend as well called A.X.L. but if you blink you’ll likely miss it. I’m calling a $3-4 million weekend and then a lifetime in obscurity.
Check back on Monday for the full box office results.
