Despite the fact that Tom Holland isn’t wearing his Spider-Man suit in “Uncharted,” the action-adventure is still performing well in North America.
According to studio predictions released Sunday, the video game adaptation starring Holland and Mark Wahlberg is on track to gross $51 million over the extended Presidents Day weekend. Sony Pictures estimates that the film will generate $44.2 million from Friday through Sunday, putting it in first place.
It’s the greatest opening weekend since “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” and while it’s not a superhero payday, it’s plenty for the industry to breathe a sigh of relief. “Dog,” the weekend’s other new opening, drew a small attendance and finished in second place.
The unpredictable nature of pandemic-era audiences made “Uncharted” a bit of a wild card, and the film’s dismal critical reception left some fans cautiously optimistic heading into the weekend. The film, directed by Ruben Fleischer and based on a PlayStation game, premiered on 4,275 screens.
In a statement, Josh Greenstein, president of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, stated, “This outcome is yet another incredible testament to the hunger for the theatrical experience that Sony Pictures banked on.”
Late last year, Sony distributed the megahit “Spider-Man: No Way Home” exclusively in cinemas. That Holland-led venture has already grossed over $770.1 million in North America, making it the third highest-grossing domestic film of all time.
“Tom Holland is a megastar whether he’s Peter Parker or Nathan Drake,” said Comscore’s senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian. “It’s difficult for many performers who have played superheroes to break out of that character and have tremendous box office success outside of it.”
“Uncharted” still has a long way to go to make up for its $120 million production budget, which will most certainly be offset by international profits. Its worldwide total has already reached $100 million, and unlike “Spider-Man,” “Uncharted” will have a Chinese release beginning March 14.
This weekend, Channing Tatum’s “Dog,” which he co-directed and starring in with his longtime producing partner Reid Carolin, premiered on 3,677 screens. United Artists anticipates a weekend take of $15.1 million, with a total take of $18.1 million if Monday is included. The picture, which was highly received by reviewers and moviegoers, stars Tatum as an Army ranger entrusted with transporting a traumatized military dog from Oregon to Arizona for her handler’s funeral. It also only cost $15 million to produce.
According to a PostTrak study, 53% of the opening weekend audience for “Dog” was over the age of 35, while 54% of the audience was female.
“It seems like 2019 all over again,” Dergarabedian remarked, referring to the success of two films.
Kenneth Branagh’s “Death on the Nile” came in fourth place with $6.3 million in its second weekend, behind “Spider-Man,” while “Jackass Forever” came in fifth place with $5.2 million.
The momentum from this weekend, according to Dergarabedian, should be the “ideal leadup” to Warner Bros.’ “The Batman,” which will be released on March 4th.
“Think of all the people who will be exposed to trailers this weekend at the movies,” Dergarabedian remarked. “This is fantastic news for ‘The Batman,'” says the author.
