Blade Runner 2049 in shock FLOP at the box office despite incredible reviews?
BLADE RUNNER 2049 is looking likely to disappoint at the US box office despite overwhelming critical acclaim.
Blade Runner 2049 is struggling at the box office
The film, starring Harrison Ford and Ryan Gosling, is pacing towards a three-day weekend opening of $36.5 million, according to Deadline.
Whilst that would be a career-high opening for both director Denis Villeneuve (previous best: Arrival, $24m) and - surprisingly - Ryan Gosling (previous best: Crazy Stupid Love, $19.1m), it’s still far from exceptional.
The film cost $155 million to make, and analysts now suggest that it will struggle to break $100 million by the end of its run in cinemas.
Whispers also indicate that Europe’s results are similarly underwhelming, and a lot of hope now rests on the Asian markets to salvage the movie.
The film is arriving on a sea of hype
Ford and Gosling have been promoting hard
What’s worth bearing in mind is that the original Blade Runner actually didn’t do well at all at the box office, making a paltry $28 million in the US.
It’s only over the subsequent decades that it has evolved into a cult classic - perhaps the same will happen to this follow-up.
Gosling and co-star Harrison Ford have been working hard at promoting the movie, giving light-hearted interviews on the likes of The Graham Norton Show and - most notably - This Morning, with an effervescent Alison Hammond.
Elsewhere, My Little Pony is set to bow at No2 with an estimated $11.1 million, with Kate Winslet and Idris Elba’s latest The Mountain Between Us in third with $9.7 million.
Ryan Gosling stars in Blade Runner 2049
Mountain Between Us is also out this weekend
It will likely dip to fourth with $9.3 million, taking its domestic total north of $300 million.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle and American Made are duking it out to complete the top five, both on around $8.1 million.
Blade Runner 2049 is out now.