'Fault in Our Stars' Scores Big in Late-Night Screenings
By Brent Lang
The Fault in Our Stars soared to a stunning $8.2 million in late-night showings Thursday, as fans flooded multiplexes to see the tragic romance.
The film about two cancer patients who fall in love is shaping up to be the summer's breakout hit; a drama produced on a shoestring that has been able to outperform massive tentpole releases.
Its fantastic debut includes figures from "The Night Before Our Stars," a fan event that offered simulcast interviews with the film’s stars in addition to a screening of the picture. Tickets for that special offering sold for $25 a pop.
The Fault in Our Stars is on pace to make $35 million this weekend, although 20th Century Fox, the studio behind the film, is being more conservative and pegging the opening in the mid-$20 million range. It now expands to 3,171 theaters.
Produced for $12 million, the well-reviewed adaptation of John Green's best-selling novel should double or triple its production budget in a single weekend.
The weekend's other new release, Edge of Tomorrow bowed to $1.8 million in its late night runs. That's better than Tom Cruise’s most recent star turn in Oblivion, which netted $1.1 million in its late night showings en route to a $37 million opening, but the expensive picture faces several hurdles if it wants to become profitable.
Edge of Tomorrow focuses on a slick public relations officer who is forced to relive the same bloody battle against alien invaders. It debuts across more than 3,490 U.S. locations this weekend, including Imax and 3D showings, and could hit $30 million. The $178 million film was financed by Village Roadshow and Warner Bros. and will need to capitalize on its sterling critical notices and word-of-mouth to build momentum if it wants to break even during its theatrical release.
After a slow start, the film has picked up steam at the foreign box office, opening to impressive numbers in South Korea this week after rolling out in nearly 30 foreign markets last weekend. So far, Edge of Tomorrow has earned $33 million worldwide.
Photo credit: 20th Century Fox
