, collecting just $800,000 in previews, box office analysts were still sticking with original expectations for the film to bring in $10 to $15 million over its opening weekend. Now, it seems that the numbers will likely fall near the floor of that estimate, if even within them.
A respectable box office performance over the next few weeks is certainly within the realm of possibility for the musical. The film has conjured glowing reviews, withthat “there are scenes in Spielberg’s version that will melt you, scenes that will make your pulse race and scenes where you simply sit back and revel in the big-spirited grandeur of it all.
Based on the beloved 1957 Broadway musical, “West Side Story” was written by Tony Kushner and stars Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler as star-crossed lovers Tony and Maria, whose passion for each other aggravates a gang war between the Puerto Rican Sharks and the white Jets. The cast also includes Ariana DeBose as Anita, David Alvarez as Bernardo, Mike Faist as Riff and Rita Moreno as Valentina, a new role created for this adaptation.
Third place will go to Sony’s “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” with an estimated $6.4 million weekend. The comedy sequel has been riding the wave of good word-of-mouth since the weekend before the Thanksgiving holiday. It should expand its domestic cume to $111 through Sunday.
Maybe if they didn't spend $100 million to make a movie like this.
It looks like the movie musical is dead. Hopefully 'Wicked' will be able to save the genre from extinction.
Oh this is a huge bomb. Cinema is really dead - no drama costing more than 30m is ever making a profit again. Only event movies like the mcu or whatever
Must be the millennians (sic) fault.
They should have done a simultaneous release
Putting any movie so close to Spiderman No way home was a suicide. This and Matrix are gonna blow hard ay thr box office no matter what
$100 million. Good grief. Apparently the woke handling of the material hurt the movie. They spent too much on 'In the Heights' too. 'Dear Evan Hansen' cost $28M and it lost money.
Deserved more
Still doing better than Spencer I fear
The WSS2021 dances sequences are outstanding and very well filmed by Janusz Kamiński.
Honestly, who wants to see that shit? I'd watch a stage version but movie stage plays suck and are artificial and boring.
It was sad that Natalie Wood was called out so much for not being Latino but there were other actors who weren't too. Also Rita Moreno played an Asian in the King and I. I dont blame her. It's the casting system back then. Just want fairness and consistency.
It’s very good.
Still a great movie. These days, with the pandemic still thriving, we cant go by box office number to judge a movie. 💯
Best news ever
Trying to top Wise & Robbins in a musical, even for Spielberg was a tall order & Spielberg should have known better that this was an untenable attempt. When you try to remake cinema perfection, you're going to lose. A 100 million dollar bust.
BOMB.
A remake, with miscast leads, during a raging pandemic. Sounds like somebody just had unrealistic expectations.
Can’t wait to watch from home!
It's unwise to compete against Robert Wise.
I love it, fucking with a classic gets you the ass end of nothing.
And without streaming excuses,🙄🙄🙄 Troubled
No one wants to see a remake of this.
The marketing for this seemed to be scant… barely saw tv ads for it less than two weeks before the release date. And with no big name stars in this, didn’t seem like press was covering this much
I think that musical features brought a curse.
The marketing was not seemingly aimed at anyone under the age of 60. No shots of any uptempo numbers. Just snippets of a ballad. Lots of reverent angles. It was more like they adverting the anniversary of done old movie than a vibrant new movie.
Imagine if they had just taken out Ansel. Would’ve been well worth the money.
Attendance is down 50% or more since before the pandemic, especially 35+ audiences which the film is aimed at. This would be closer to a $20-25+ million opening in a non pandemic year. Compared to Les Mis $18mil opening which finished $148m. Will likely have legs during holidays.
This weekend WestSideStory opening is concerning but then next w/e when SpiderManNoWayHome opens with similar predictable $150m+ exhibitors will be saying audiences returned.. it's the failure of industry being only interested in getting under 35s back over last 18+ months
It’s a musical. Calm down. Musicals never do blockbuster numbers. Especially during a pandemic.
It’s gonna be awhile before people start going to the movies like they did pre-covid
No surprises here, There is no West Side Story without Natalie Wood. I know Hollywood ran out of ideas years ago but this is embarrassing.
West Side Story without Natalie Wood, = Gone with the Wind without Clark Gable, Grapes of Wrath without Henery Fonda. DAMN!
Congratulations to the big winner of this weekend's box office: In The Heights!
Expensive flop, but it'll clean up at the Oscars.
My wife and I went and already saw the musical movie, “the Heights” about the Washington Heights neighborhood in NYC. Quality flick. A grade. So 1x musical movie is my quota for the year.
Did someone ask to see Ansel Elgort as a romantic lead? Really?
This could be a greatest showman scenario - opens soft, but has long legs throughout the holiday season.
For an experiment, they should rerelease the original in cinemas, promote it the same, and see the box office results.
I wont see it, the original is always best
Who was this for?
Not surprised.
musicals are never going to be blockbuster hits especially during a pandemic.
Lol not surprised
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