The Expendables 4 Box Office Day 1: Sylvester & Jason Statham’s Starrer Records Lowest Opening In The Franchise
The highly anticipated release of “The Expendables 4,” starring Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham, has taken a surprising turn at the box office. The franchise, known for its action-packed sequences and star-studded cast, has recorded its lowest opening day collection to date. In this article, we dive into the disappointing numbers and possible reasons behind this unexpected downturn in the franchise’s fortunes.
Expend4bles Box Office Day 1 Opening Collections
The ongoing SAG-strike is causing concern for recent theater releases. “The Expendables 4,” also known as Expend4bles, premiered yesterday, and its box office performance is far from impressive. This could be attributed to minimal promotional efforts or a waning audience interest in Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham’s action-packed thriller series. Scroll below for the latest updates!
Even before its release, “The Expendables 4” displayed signs of trouble. It received the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score in the franchise’s history, with a mere 16% rating. While the inclusion of new faces like Megan Fox and 50 Cent added an element of intrigue, it appears that audiences weren’t sufficiently captivated to flock to theaters for this latest installment.
The competition at the box office was fierce, with enticing alternatives such as “The Nun II,” “A Haunting In Venice,” “The Equalizer 3,” and “Barbie” vying for moviegoers’ attention. Given the star power associated with “The Expendables 4,” a robust opening weekend was expected, but it seems the film has fallen short of those expectations. According to a report by Variety, the film managed to earn a meager $3.2 million on its opening day in North America, signaling the potential for another disappointing weekend in 2023. Notably, the film is currently screening in 3,518 theaters.
Falling Behind Expectations
The initial earnings of “The Expendables 4” comprised $750,000 from Thursday previews, marking the franchise’s lowest opening figure. This raises concerns that the weekend’s overall box office total might significantly trail behind the impressive $15.8 million achieved by “The Expendables 3.” To put it in perspective, the film debuted with a mere $3.2 million in total earnings, including the aforementioned $750,000 from Thursday previews.
This dismal performance sets a new low for the franchise’s opening-day collections. The weekend totals are expected to fall significantly short of the $15.8 million achieved by “The Expendables 3,” a cause for genuine concern among fans and stakeholders.
It’s worth noting that none of the previous films in the franchise can be classified as box office failures. However, the question remains whether Sylvester Stallone’s latest outing will break this streak and disappoint audiences. We can only hope for a turnaround as we keep our fingers crossed for better days ahead.
Box Office: ‘Expend4bles’ Flops With $8.3 Million Debut
“The Expendables 4,” an action-packed thriller featuring Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham, stumbled in its box office premiere, plummeting to a franchise-record low of $8.3 million.
In a surprising turn of events, “The Expendables 4” stumbled in its box office debut, achieving a franchise-low opening of $8.3 million. It landed just behind “The Nun II,” which collected $8.4 million in its third weekend, and the final order may change when the official tally is released on Monday. Nevertheless, this weekend marked the lowest-grossing box office frame of the year, with no film managing to cross the $10 million mark.
Despite these discouraging results, there is room for optimism regarding the future of theatrical releases. Negotiations between studios and striking writers could lead to similar agreements with actors’ unions, allowing stars to actively promote their upcoming films and potentially boost box office returns. Films like “Dumb Money” and “A Haunting in Venice,” boasting ensembles of famous faces, suffered due to restrictions imposed during the SAG-AFTRA strike, preventing A-list casts from promoting their work.
Falling Short of Expectations
As the weekend approached, the Lionsgate and Millenium-produced fourth installment of “The Expendables” was anticipated to achieve a $15 million opening across 3,400 theaters in North America. Instead, audiences felt the film was, well, expendable. Without encouraging reviews or positive word-of-mouth, opening weekend figures weren’t anywhere close to its series predecessors of 2014’s “Expendables 3” with $15.8 million, the 2012 sequel with $28.5 million, and 2010’s original “Expendables” with $34.8 million.
Anticipation ran high for “The Expendables 4” as it entered the weekend, with expectations of a $15 million opening from 3,400 theaters in North America. However, the film failed to live up to the hype, with audiences perceiving it as expendable. Lackluster reviews and a lack of positive word-of-mouth contributed to opening weekend figures that paled in comparison to its franchise predecessors. “The Expendables 3” amassed $15.8 million in 2014, the 2012 sequel garnered a hefty $28.5 million, while the inaugural 2010 film soared to an impressive $34.8 million.
David A. Gross, head of the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research Critics, commented on the situation, saying, “The last two ‘Expendables’ have dropped sharply from the previous episodes, and the weekend figure is below average for the genre. Reviews are poor and audience ratings are dull.”
While “The Expendables” series has experienced a decline in popularity domestically, it has consistently drawn international audiences, with each installment grossing at least $200 million globally. Despite its $100 million production cost, the fourth installment faces challenges in achieving profitability after accounting for marketing and distribution expenses.
Weekend Box Office Overview
Elsewhere, it was a quiet weekend at the box office as “A Haunting in Venice,” “The Equalizer 3″ and “Barbie” continue to round out domestic charts.
In addition to “The Expendables 4,” the weekend box office landscape saw other releases vying for attention. “A Haunting in Venice” secured third place with $6.3 million in its second weekend, bringing its North American and global earnings to $25.4 million and $71.6 million, respectively. Denzel Washington’s “The Equalizer 3” claimed fourth place with $4.7 million in its fourth weekend, surpassing the earnings of “The Equalizer 2” but falling short of the original “The Equalizer.”
Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster “Barbie” rounded out the top five with $3.2 million, maintaining its presence in the rankings for the tenth consecutive weekend. The film has achieved remarkable success, grossing $630 million domestically and a staggering $1.
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