The movie “Free Guy,” an action comedy starring Ryan Reynolds as a background character in a videogame, opened to a better-than-expected box office haul of $28.4 million U.S. at North American theatres.
After a few weeks of declining audiences and underwhelming debuts amid the Delta COVID-19 variant surge, “Free Guy” succeeded with an old-school formula: an original, star-fronted movie with good word-of-mouth playing only in theaters.
The movie was made by Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS) with a theatrical release contractually stipulated for the $100 million U.S. production.
Playing in 4,165 North American theaters, Free Guy was expected to debut at around $20 million U.S. Its surprisingly strong opening gave further proof to what some analysts have been saying throughout the year — hybrid releases that send new movies immediately onto streaming platforms can significantly harm ticket sales.
The last two number one movies – “The Suicide Squad” and “Jungle Cruise” – were each launched simultaneously in theaters and on home streaming.
Reviews for Free Guy were good (82% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes), and a male-heavy audience gave the film an “A” CinemaScore.
Last week’s top film, The Suicide Squad, slid steeply, dropping 70% in its second weekend after its $26.2 million U.S. debut. Disney’s Jungle Cruise landed in third place over the weekend with $9 million U.S. It’s also playing on Disney+ for an additional $30.