Paramount/Skydance’s “Gemini Man” has arrived in theaters this weekend with the hopes of finding an audience against “Joker.” On Thursday, “Gemini Man” made $1.6 million from preview screenings at 3,000 locations.
For comparison, that result is similar to the preview results for two recent action titles: “Angel Has Fallen,” which made $1.5 million and went on to a $21.4 million opening, and “Rambo: Last Blood,” which opened to $18.9 million after making $1.3 million in previews.
The outlook, at least domestically, isn’t strong for “Gemini Man.” Reviews have been poor, with a 31% Rotten Tomatoes score, and analysts are predicting an opening weekend total in the low $20 million range. “Gemini Man” features pricey CGI effects that allowed Smith to play both a retired assassin and a younger clone of himself. With a reported $140 million budget, the film will rely on overseas grosses to break even.
Also being released this weekend is United Artists/MGM’s “The Addams Family,” which earned $1.25 million from previews at 3,000 locations. The animated film is also projected for a low $20 million opening and has received weak reviews, with a 33% Rotten Tomatoes score. It will compete for family audiences against “Abominable,” which is entering its third weekend, as well as the upcoming Disney film, “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,” which is released in theaters next Friday.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros./Village Roadshow/DC’s “Joker” is expected to stay No. 1 on the charts this weekend. On Thursday, the film grossed $8.9 million to bring its domestic total to $137.7 million after a week in theaters. It is on pace to pass “It: Chapter Two” as WB’s highest grossing film of 2019 and is expected by analysts to earn a second weekend total of $40-42 million.