'First Man' Lifts Off This Weekend to Steep Box Office Competition

“Venom” and “A Star Is Born,” both hot off of very strong openings at the box office last weekend, will now serve as tough competition for this week’s pair of big releases, Universal’s “First Man” and Fox’s “Bad Times at the El Royale.”

“First Man” is the followup for director Damien Chazelle after winning the Oscar for Best Director for “La La Land” last year, with Ryan Gosling and several other Oscar winners from his “La La Land” team joining him. But while “La La Land” had a limited December release and a slow rollout through January, “First Man” will be released wide by Universal on 3,600 screens. The studio is projecting an opening weekend of $15-18 million, with independent trackers pushing their expectations up to $20 million.

Also Read: How Far Can 'Venom' Go at the Box Office?

With a $60 million budget, such a result wouldn’t exactly be the big start that “A Star Is Born” enjoyed with older audiences last weekend, and “First Man” will certainly face a challenge finding a foothold with the prestige crowd, with the Bradley Cooper/Lady Gaga film being the talk of the film industry right now. But there is precedent for an awards contender finding success from an Oct. 12 release date: the 2013 Best Picture Oscar winner “Argo.”

Released in fall 2012 on 3,232 screens, “Argo” had a fairly modest opening weekend of $19.4 million, but went on to gross over $10 million for the next three weekends and finished with a domestic total of $136 million and a global total of $232.3 million against a $44 million budget.

That’s the path “First Man” will look to follow through a fall calendar that, in addition to “A Star Is Born,” includes upcoming films like “Bohemian Rhapsody.” One thing “First Man” has going for it is IMAX, which is heavily promoting the film as the company provided Chazelle with its cameras to screen the climactic scenes on the surface of the moon.

Also Read: October Box Office Returns Could Be So Good It's Scary

Though only a few minutes of the film will be in the IMAX format, critics have praised the sudden transition from 35mm widescreen to 4K digital IMAX as one of the highlights of the film, and both Universal and IMAX are hoping that’s enough of a draw to get moviegoers to pay a little extra for the premium ticket.

Based on James R. Hansen’s detailed recounting of the Apollo 11 lunar mission, “First Man” stars Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong and delves into the personal life and inner mind of the famous yet very reserved astronaut, particularly how the death of his infant daughter impacted him. Claire Foy also stars as Armstrong’s wife, Janet. Josh Singer, who co-wrote “Spotlight” and “The Post,” penned the screenplay.

“Bad Times at the El Royale,” meanwhile, will try to peel off some of the younger moviegoers who went to go see “Venom” this past weekend. Tracker projections are spread out for this noir thriller, but average to a projected opening in the low-to-mid-teens. That result would match the $14.7 million start for director Drew Goddard’s 2012 cult horror classic, “The Cabin in the Woods.”

Also Read: 'Free Solo' Sets Documentary Record at Indie Box Office

“El Royale” features an ensemble cast including Jeff Bridges, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Chris Hemsworth, and Nick Offerman as a group of individuals who check in to the seedy El Royale hotel on the border of California and Nevada. Soon, secrets are revealed and bullets fly as everything goes horribly wrong.

Finally, there’s Sony’s “Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween,” a sequel to the 2015 family horror comedy based on R.L. Stine’s YA book series. Unlike the other two major releases, this film won’t have to compete much for its main demographic, family audiences, as “The House With A Clock in its Walls” is expected to fall out of the top five on the charts this weekend.

The reported $35 million film is projected for an opening in the high teens this weekend, slightly below the $23.6 million that the first film grossed. However, the first “Goosebumps” had a much higher budget at $58 million and grossed $150 million worldwide, putting this sequel in a position to make a larger profit. Jack Black returns to reprise his role as a fictionalized version of Stine, with “It” star Jeremy Ray Taylor, Caleel Harris and Ken Jeong also starring.

The Evolution of Ryan Gosling: From 'Mickey Mouse Club' to 'First Man' (Photos)

From the start of his career, Ryan Gosling has proven that he's not an actor interested in carving out a niche. His filmography is filled with roles that range from romantic heartthrobs to murderers to political and corporate scumbags and back again.
"The Mickey Mouse Club" (1993)

The Canadian youngster's career began with a recurring role on Disney's 1993 revival of "The Mickey Mouse Club." It was here that Gosling became close friends with fellow castmember Justin Timberlake.
Disney
"Goosebumps" (1996)

Kids' horror was another highlight of Gosling's childhood. He appeared on episodes of "Goosebumps" and "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" that involved a radio station broadcasting from the afterlife and a camera that brought misfortune on those who had their picture taken with it.
Nickelodeon
"Young Hercules" (1998-1999)

Gosling traveled to New Zealand in 1998 to film the kids series "Young Hercules," in which he played the titular son of Zeus during his warrior training. Shortly afterward, he decided to move from TV to film and take on more adult roles.
NBC Universal
"Remember the Titans" (2000)

Child actors sometimes have a hard time transitioning to a successful adult career, but Gosling made the jump with ease thanks to his performance in "Remember The Titans." His previous TV work helped him pick up the role in Disney's family movie, while the film's message on race proved that he could handle more thematically heavy work.
Disney
"The Believer" (2001)

In 2001, Gosling burst onto the independent film scene with "The Believer," in which he played a Jewish neo-Nazi who struggles with self-hatred over his heritage. Critics praised Gosling for his thought-provoking portrayal of the film's almost paradoxical main character.
Fireworks Pictures
"Murder by Numbers" (2002)

A year later in 2002, Gosling got a chance to perform alongside a top star for the first time when he starred in "Murder By Numbers" alongside Sandra Bullock. Gosling played a privileged, sociopathic high school student who tries to commit the perfect murder, while Bullock played the detective assigned to track him down.
Warner Bros.
"The Notebook" (2004)

Gosling then found massive mainstream success in the 2004 romance "The Notebook" alongside Rachel McAdams. The two won an MTV Movie Award for their kiss in the film, which has earned praise for becoming one of the most famous smooching scenes in movie history.
New Line Cinema
"Half Nelson" (2006)

Gosling received his first Oscar nomination for his performance in "Half Nelson" in 2006. He played Dan Dunne, a history teacher who forms a unique relationship with one of his students when Dan is caught snorting cocaine.
ThinkFilm
"The Lovely Bones" (2009)

Gosling was supposed to appear in Peter Jackson's "The Lovely Bones," but was replaced by Mark Wahlberg. Gosling revealed later that he had been removed for gaining too much weight to prepare for the role after it was initially ruled that he was too young for the part.
Paramount Pictures
"Blue Valentine" (2010)

After leaving "The Lovely Bones," Gosling took a three-year hiatus from acting before returning in 2010 with "Blue Valentine." While "The Notebook" was a sweet romance, "Blue Valentine" showed Gosling playing a man in the midst of a chaotic divorce.
The Weinstein Company
"Crazy, Stupid, Love." (2011)

In 2011, Gosling put his acting range on display in three very different roles. First, he played the womanizing Jacob Palmer in the dark romcom "Crazy, Stupid, Love" alongside Steve Carell.
Warner Bros.
"Drive" (2011)

Then Gosling put his minimalist skills on display as an unnamed getaway car driver in the noir crime film "Drive."
FilmDistrict
"The Ides of March" (2011)

Finally, he starred alongside George Clooney as a presidential campaign manager who leaves a dark trail of corruption in "The Ides of March."
Columbia
"Only God Forgives" (2013)

After 2011, however, Gosling fell into a slump with the critics, receiving middling to poor reviews for several years. His most polarizing project was "Only God Forgives," which reportedly received loud jeers when it was screened at Cannes.
The Weinstein Company
"The Big Short" (2015)

Gosling made a big comeback, however, with the Best Picture-nominated film "The Big Short" in 2015. He plays Jared Vennett, a slick bond salesman who decides to profit off the speculative housing market bubble at the cost of the bank he works for.
Paramount
"The Nice Guys" (2016)

Gosling went back to comedy in May 2016 with "The Nice Guys," where he stars alongside Russell Crowe as a jumpy private eye who uncovers a conspiracy alongside his bitter rival.
Warner Bros.
"La La Land" (2016)

In December 2016, Gosling generated major awards attention as a jazz pianist who woos an aspiring actress in Damien Chazelle's modern musical "La La Land." Once again, he displayed remarkable chemistry with his "Crazy, Stupid, Love" co-star Emma Stone.
Lionsgate
"Blade Runner 2049" (2017)

Gosling has often been criticized for being a stoic, reserved actor, but it made him perfect for the part of a replicant in Denis Villeneuve's sequel to the cult classic "Blade Runner." Gosling starred opposite Harrison Ford in the film.
Columbia Pictures Corporation
"First Man" (2018)

Damien Chazelle looked to Gosling again for his followup film "First Man," about the life of Neil Armstrong and his journey to walk on the moon. Gosling's combination of reserved calm and movie star good looks made him a natural choice to play the American hero. Not-so-fun fact: Gosling may have sustained a "mild" concussion while filming.
Universal Pictures

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Canadian actor started out on Disney Channel and then made bold career choices to become one of Hollywood’s biggest stars

From the start of his career, Ryan Gosling has proven that he's not an actor interested in carving out a niche. His filmography is filled with roles that range from romantic heartthrobs to murderers to political and corporate scumbags and back again.

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The Evolution of Ryan Gosling: From 'Mickey Mouse Club' to 'First Man' (Photos)

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