Despite garnering positive reviews after its premiere at the 2024 SXSW, the action comedy film The Fall Guy failed to meet the box office expectations after it finally hit the theatres on May 3. The film, which was projected to make at least $30 million in its opening weekend, has fallen short to $28.5 million.
While some attribute the underwhelming box office performance to the availability of day-and-date PVOD on Disney+, experts argue that the film’s reception is consistent with the challenges faced by original action comedies in theaters.
Expert Analyse the Reason Behind The Fall Guy’s Box Office Struggles
Following what has been described as a disappointing box-office performance, industry expert Scott Mendelson has shared his argument on why the PVOD release strategy might not be the sole reason behind The Fall Guy’s underwhelming opening at the box office.
In an X (Twitter) thread, he claimed that the box office number of the Ryan Gosling starrer highlights a broader trend in the industry and genre dynamics that played a significant role in its weak box office performance.
He claimed that the constant failure of such movies is the reason the studios are opting for PVOD releases within a few weeks of a film’s theatrical release, arguing that it has become a “new revenue stream” for non-blockbuster films as they face challenges with big franchises and event films.
“Universal putting movies like The Fall Guy on PVOD ($20 to rent) 19 days after opening day isn’t causing them to flop in theaters. Universal started putting movies on PVOD weeks after opening day partially because movies like The Fall Guy have been flopping since the mid-2010s.”
Scott Mendelson further emphasized that Hollywood faces an uphill battle in reacclimating audiences to appreciate smaller, star-driven films in theaters, something the audience “used” to enjoy at a time.
And he proposed opting for strategic scheduling and facing short-term losses in pursuit of long-term audience engagement. Until then, movies under such genres could potentially continue to struggle at the box office, despite having leading stars like Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt.
The Fall Guy’s Opening Deemed ‘Fair’ for Action Comedy Genre
While David Leitch’s action comedy film, honoring the stuntmen in Hollywood, has fallen short of expectations with its $28.5 million opening, it has been described as a reasonable opening for an action comedy film.
David A. Gross of movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research has said, “This is a fair opening for a big action-comedy,” as per Variety. He also suggested that such movies tend to perform better internationally, suggesting David Leitch’s 2024 action comedy could see increased success with a sustained run in theaters.
A similar trend was seen in Leitch’s 2022 action comedy film Bullet Train starring Brad Pitt. Despite its modest start at $30 million, the film was able to earn $103 million domestically and an impressive $239 million globally. However, The Fall Guy’s fate remains uncertain, despite the film receiving positive reviews from critics and audiences alike.
The Fall Guy is playing in theatres.
