Box Office: Faith-Based Drama ‘Redeeming Love’ No Match for ‘Scream,’ ‘Spider-Man’
“Scream,” the hit sequel in the long-running slasher series, will keep terrorizing audiences over the weekend.
Only one major studio release, Universal’s faith-based romantic drama “Redeeming Love,” is opening nationwide, and the poorly reviewed film, which combines a gold-rush setting with a parable about redemption and the oldest profession, isn’t looking like it’ll put up much of a fight on North American box office charts. Neither will the new Gravitas Ventures title “The King’s Daughter,” a fantasy drama starring Pierce Brosnan as a French royal obsessed with his own immortality.
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That means “Scream,” which debuted at No. 1 last weekend with $34 million over the extended Martin Luther King Jr. holiday frame, should have no trouble staying victorious. The R-rated horror film is tracking to earn $14 million (give or take) in its second weekend of release, representing a standard 50-55% decline from its traditional three-day opening.
Though “Scream” is expected to retain its leading spot, Sony’s comic book behemoth “Spider-Man: No Way Home” won’t be far behind. Now in its sixth weekend of release, the latest Tom Holland-led Spidey adventure is targeting at least $11 million in weekend ticket sales. With $702 million at the domestic box office to date, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” ranks as the fourth-highest grossing domestic release in history. Only “Avatar” ($760 million), “Avengers: Endgame” ($858 million) and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” ($936 million) have sold more tickets — and, making “Spider-Man’s” box office riches even more impressive, those films weren’t released in the middle of a pandemic.
Barring a miracle, “Redeeming Love” is shaping up to be another box office dud for Universal following “The 355,” a star-studded espionage thriller that failed to resonate with audiences and has grossed a mere $8.9 million since launching earlier in January. “Redeeming Love” is projected to earn a disappointing $5 million or less when it touches down in 1,800 North American theaters. Universal is only distributing the film, so the studio isn’t on the hook for marketing or production fees.
Directed by D.J. Caruso (“xXx: Return of Xander Cage”), “Redeeming Love” takes place amidst the California gold rush of 1850. It follows Angel (Abigail Cowen), who was sold into prostitution as a child and channels her trauma through hatred and self-loathing. That is, until she meets a man (Tom Lewis) who teaches her the power of unconditional love. The film also stars Nina Dobrev of “Vampire Diaries” fame and “Grey’s Anatomy” alum Eric Dane.
Reviews are not likely to help “Redeeming Love” at the box office. The film currently holds a 14% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critical sentiments ranging from “pretty irredeemable” to “icky.”
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