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Steven Spielberg’s field workplace energy is about to be examined this weekend as his tackle West Side Story is lastly hitting the large display after a 12 months’s delay as a result of pandemic. Whereas critiques are glowing and it’s producing appreciable Oscar buzz, West Facet Story has to take care of its target market of older adults nonetheless being apprehensive about going to the flicks in the course of the pandemic and musicals not essentially lighting up the field workplace in latest reminiscence.
West Facet Story is monitoring in the direction of a gap weekend of $12-17 million, per “Deadline.” This may appear low but it surely’s a stable quantity to start out with as a result of there’s some uncertainty concerning the target market speeding out to see the movie on opening weekend. Home of Gucci was a ray of sunshine that adults would courageous the theater for the best movie when it opened to $14.4 million over three days and $22 million over five. It was definitely a step in the best route but it surely was additionally boosted by Thanksgiving vacation moviegoing. West Facet Story received’t actually see that bump for no less than one other week when faculty and work start to interrupt for the lengthy Christmas into the New 12 months vacation. Home of Gucci additionally had Girl Gaga and her identify alone introduced in tickets. Spielberg’s identify is the promoting level with West Facet Story as a result of there aren’t any large stars in its large ensemble forged, though most are getting raves for his or her performances right here.
The opposite hurdle for West Facet Story is that film musicals are a good distance away from lighting up the field workplace like they did when Chicago, Les Miserables, Dreamgirls, or Hairspray hit the large display. In The Heights, launched this summer time, is a movie that West Facet Story is being in comparison with as a result of their nice critiques are almost an identical (West Facet Story is 96% fresh whereas In The Heights was fresh at 94%), they each had stable early buzz and each musicals function a Puerto Rican NYC denizen storyline. In The Heights was monitoring for a $20 million opening earlier than it massively underperformed with a gap of $11.5 million. Some blamed the movie hitting HBO Max on the similar time for the underperformance however Samba TV measured a lightweight reception for the movie on the streaming service. West Facet Story has the benefit as a result of, whereas In The Heights comes from Lin Manuel Miranda, it doesn’t match the model reputation of his extra profitable stage endeavor, Hamilton. Right here, Spielberg is the model, and West Facet Story is a legacy IP that would appeal to extra of an viewers in the event that they’re prepared to courageous the multiplex. That being stated, musicals could be very area of interest and a tricky promote. Even one thing like Tick, Tick…Growth!, which can be producing robust critiques, isn’t precisely lighting Netflix on hearth both. It’s most likely doing nicely sufficient but it surely didn’t crack the U.S. prime ten when it hit the streamer which is a bit regarding for a buzzed-about Oscar hopeful.
For Spielberg, we’ve got to check this movie to his non-event endeavors that appeal to awards consideration. These movies are inclined to make most of their grosses after the opening weekend as a result of they have an inclination to have super legs because of good critiques and good phrase of mouth. Struggle Horse took in 91% of its whole gross after opening weekend whereas Lincoln got here in at 88%, Bride of Spies at 79%, and The Submit at 76%. West Facet Story will even hope for the vacation awards push to permit it to leg it out by means of the brand new 12 months.
Do YOU assume West Facet Story’s field workplace monitoring is correct or will it soar increased because of its stable critiques?