Director John Krasinski’s fantasy-comedy IF had a modest opening weekend, earning $35 million at the box office, slightly below its $40 million projection, per variety.com. Despite this, strong Saturday sales lifted initial expectations from $30 million. Paramount Pictures, the film’s distributor, saw positive audience reception with an “A” CinemaScore, suggesting potential for longevity akin to Migration and Elemental. However, stiff competition looms with Sony’s The Garfield Movie releasing next weekend.
IF follows Brooklyn neighbours Cal and Bea, played by Ryan Reynolds and Cailey Fleming, who can see imaginary friends. The star-studded voice cast includes Steve Carell, Matt Damon, Maya Rudolph, Emily Blunt, Bradley Cooper, Jon Stewart, and George Clooney. Reviews are mixed, with a 50% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Variety’s Tomris Laffly described it as “sweetly old-fashioned yet messily conjured.”
The domestic box office remains sluggish, down 22% from last year and 42% from 2019, according to Comscore. Memorial Day releases like Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and The Garfield Movie are anticipated to boost sales. Later summer releases, including Deadpool & Wolverine and Despicable Me 4, aim to draw crowds.
Lionsgate’s The Strangers: Chapter 1 debuted in third place with $12 million, exceeding its $8.5 million budget. Despite a “C” CinemaScore and 13% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film’s success sets the stage for a planned trilogy.
The Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black opened to $2.85 million, ranking fifth. Critics were harsh (35% on Rotten Tomatoes), but audiences were more favorable with a “B+” CinemaScore. The film has performed better overseas, grossing $37 million internationally.
Last weekend’s leader, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, fell to second with $26 million, totaling $100.9 million domestically. Universal’s The Fall Guy earned $8.4 million in its third weekend, struggling to recoup its $140 million budget.
Amazon MGM’s The Blue Angels documentary grossed $1.325 million from 268 Imax screens. Neon’s Babes, directed by Pamela Adlon, collected $171,321 from 12 venues, poised for further expansion.
•Featured imagec ourtesy Everett Collection ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Col
