Warner Bros./MRC/LuckyChap’s “Wuthering Heights” is kicking off what theaters are hoping will be a busy four-day Valentine’s Day weekend with $3 million grossed at the box office from Thursday screenings.
Directed by Emerald Fennell and starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi in a stylized spin on Emily Bronte’s classic novel, “Wuthering Heights” is projected for a $50 million-plus 4-day opening weekend, with Warner Bros. projecting a more cautious $40 million.
Whether it gets to the higher estimate will largely depend on early audience word-of-mouth and how much it fuels walk-up ticket sales over the weekend, especially on Valentine’s Day on Saturday. Critics have skewed positive on the film with a 65% Rotten Tomatoes score.
Also opening this weekend is Sony Pictures Animation’s “Goat,” a family film that earned $1 million from Thursday previews. Of course, matinees will determine the fate of this original animated title, which is projected to open similar to other recent original titles like Pixar’s bomb “Elio” at $20-25 million over four days, though some trackers and sources are more optimistic at $30 million-plus.
In either case, “Goat” will need legs and strong audience buzz beyond this weekend to turn a profit theatrically, though it has a considerably lower break-even point than “Elio” with a reported $80 million budget before marketing costs. Reviews have been positive for “Goat” with a 79% Rotten Tomatoes score.
The release of “Goat” comes as Sony Pictures Animation is running hot off the release of the acclaimed “KPop Demon Hunters,” though theaters were not able to fully capitalize off that success as Sony sold the film to Netflix. After its success on streaming, Netflix gave “KPop” a pair of limited engagement weekend releases, where it grossed $24.3 million.
“Goat” will be a full theatrical release from Sony Pictures, with its opening tied to this weekend’s NBA All-Star Game where producer Steph Curry will participate. Caleb McLaughlin and Gabrielle Union star in the film, with Curry having a supporting role alongside NBA and WNBA stars like Dwayne Wade, Andre Iguodala, A’ja Wilson, Kevin Love and Angel Reese.
Also earning $1 million from previews is Amazon MGM’s “Crime 101,” a crime thriller starring Chris Hemsworth and Halle Berry that has also been well received with an 86% Rotten Tomatoes score. Projections have the film taking the No. 3 spot on the charts with a $15-17 million 4-day opening.
