'Deadpool' Is Still Killing It, 'Gods of Egypt' Bombing Friday for Dismal U.S. Debut
Gerard Butler in ‘Gods of Egypt’ (Lionsgate via AP)
By Pamela McClintock and Rebecca Ford
Lionsgate’s Gods of Egypt, starring Gerard Butler, isn’t finding much redemption at the Friday box office, where it looks to earn under $5 million for the day and $11 million to $13 million over Oscar weekend, despite a hefty $140 million production budget, according to early Friday returns.
At this rate, the fantasy epic will be the first big-budget miss of the year at the North American box office. It’s hoping to make up ground overseas, where it rolls out in 68 markets this weekend before landing in China on March 11.
Fox’s superhero blockbuster Deadpool will have no trouble staying at No. 1 in its third weekend with a projected gross of $30 million as it heads for the $300 million mark domestically and $600 million worldwide.
Deadpool could make life difficult for Gods of Egypt internationally as well. Also overseas this weekend, Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight will ride past the $100 million mark for The Weinstein Co., pushing its global total to north of $150 million.
Gods of Egypt, with aspirations of launching a new franchise, earned $800,000 in Thursday-night previews before expanding into a total of 3,117 theaters on Friday morning.
Related: ‘Gods of Egypt’: Film Review
The film stars Butler as god of darkness Set whose rule has forced the Egyptian empire into chaos and conflict. Brenton Thwaites plays a mortal hero who teams with the god Horus (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) to save the empire. Lionsgate insiders say the studio’s exposure on the budget is limited to $10 million after foreign presales and hefty Australian tax credits, but that doesn’t include tens of millions in marketing costs.
The other two newcomers this weekend are Fox’s sports dramedy Eddie the Eagle, starring Hugh Jackman and Taron Egerton, and crime thriller Triple 9. Eddie stars Egerton as real-life British ski jumper Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards while Jackman plays his coach. The film, which had a secret screening at Sundance, is directed by Dexter Fletcher.
Neither look to do big business, with each pacing to gross $6 million to $7 million for the weekend, according to early Friday returns. Eddie grossed $175,000 in Thursday-night previews.
John Hillcoat’s indie crime-thriller Triple 9 has a strong cast including Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie, Aaron Paul, Woody Harrelson, Kate Winslet, Teresa Palmer and Gal Gadot. Open Road Films is releasing the movie, which centers on a crooked cops and criminals who plan a major heist, in the U.S.
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