Can ‘Ghostbusters’ turn controversy into a box-office win?
Sony’s modern, big-budget reboot of the “Ghostbusters” franchise has proved to be one of the most polarizing films of the summer movie season. Now Hollywood will find out if the long-simmering anticipation will translate into box-office dollars.
“Ghostbusters” is expected to gross about $50 million in its opening weekend in the U.S. and Canada, according to people who have seen pre-release audience surveys.
It would be a solid start for the Paul Feig-directed comedy that has faced a loud, often ugly outcry online for updating the 1984 classic with a female-led cast.
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Still, that may not be enough to unseat “The Secret Life of Pets” as the No. 1 movie domestically. The computer-animated adventure from Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures opened to a massive $103 million last weekend.
Watch the trailer for “Ghostbusters.”
But the studio is hoping that audiences will respond enthusiastically to the action-comedy and keep turning out at theaters in the coming weeks, overcoming some of the early backlash.
The first trailer, released in March, was widely panned on YouTube, where it reportedly became the most “disliked” movie trailer in the site’s history. Even star Melissa McCarthy said she found the film’s teaser “very confusing.” People have even flooded its IMDB page with negative ratings.
Sony is conservatively projecting an opening of $38 million to $40 million for the brand-new “Ghostbusters.”
The movie will need to do strong business throughout the summer at home and overseas to justify the production spending on the picture and generate a sequel. The studio says “Ghostbusters” cost $144 million to make, after tax rebates.
“For Sony, this had to be a huge hit, and it looks like it’s only going to be a moderate one,” said Jeff Bock, box-office analyst at Exhibitor Relations. “It’ll be lucky to beat ‘Pets’ this weekend.”
“Ghostbusters” stars McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig and Leslie Jones as the titular team that must save New York City from an onslaught of paranormal activity. “Thor’s” Chris Hemsworth delivers a comic turn as a hunky, dimwitted secretary.
Feig, who directed the PG-13 film, is no stranger to female-driven studio comedies. He previously worked with McCarthy on 20th Century Fox’s “Spy” and with McCarthy and Wiig on Universal’s “Bridesmaids.”
The original “Ghostbusters,” starring Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd, was a huge hit that eventually generated more than $240 million in ticket sales from the U.S. and Canada and was even nominated for two Oscars (visual effects and original song).
The Ray Parker Jr. theme song was a phenomenon in its own right, ruling the Billboard singles charts. It was re-recorded for the new film by alt-rock band Fall Out Boy and rapper Missy Elliott.
Follow Ryan Faughnder on Twitter for more entertainment business coverage: @rfaughnder
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