Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
‘Ford v Ferrari’ Speeds to No. 1; ‘Charlie’s Angels’ Fizzles
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
November 18, 2019

Share

NEW YORK — “Ford v Ferrari” left its competition in the rearview mirror, racing to an estimated $31 million debut at the box office in a No. 1 finish that counted as a win for big-budget originality.
James Mangold’s racing drama rode into the weekend with strong reviews and Oscar buzz for its leads, Christian Bale and Matt Damon. And audiences enthusiastically greeted it, giving the $98 million movie an A+ CinemaScore. “Ford v Ferrari,” which dramatizes the Ford Motor Co.’s push to unseat perennial power Ferrari at France’s 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1966, has been considered a rare kind of high-priced throwback built more on story, practical effects and star power than intellectual property.
Elizabeth Banks’ “Charlie’s Angels” reboot couldn’t keep up. The Sony Pictures release opened below expectations with $8.6 million domestically and $19.3 million overseas, according to studio estimates Sunday. Though the movie was relatively modestly budgeted at $48 million, it fell well short of the $40.1 million debut of the 2000’s “Charlie’s Angels,” with Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu. (The 2003 sequel opened similarly with $37.6 million.)
Banks’ version of the 1976-1981 TV series gave the material a feminist spin. But Kristen Stewart was the sole widely known Angel, starring alongside Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska. And “Charlie’s Angels” couldn’t best the World War II movie “Midway” in its second week. It slotted in just ahead of “Angels” in second, with $8.8 million.
Lately, at least, Hollywood’s efforts to dust off old intellectual property have been received with a shrug by moviegoers. November has already seen disappointing debuts for the Paramount Pictures sequel “Terminator: Dark Fate” ($56.9 million in three weeks) and Warner Bros.’ “The Shining” riff, “Doctor Sleep” ($25 million in two weeks).

Photo of scene from Charlie's Angels
This image released by Sony Pictures shows, from left, Ella Balinska, Kristen Stewart and Naomi Scott in the film, “Charlie’s Angels.” (Merie Weismiller Wallace/Sony Pictures via AP)

‘We Knew That It Was a Real Crowd-Pleaser’

That made the initial success of “Ford v Ferrari” stand out even more. The Walt Disney Co. release’s opening weekend, which included $21.4 million internationally, has several laps to go before reaching profitability. But as an adult-oriented action film with excellent audience scores and awards attention, “Ford v Ferrari” is likely to play well for weeks to come.
“We knew that it was a real crowd-pleaser. Anywhere we played it, whether at festivals or screenings, people have come out responding so positively to it. We knew that we had a little jewel here,” said Cathleen Taff, Disney’s distribution chief. “James Mangold and the Fox team, combined with the talent behind it — Matt and Christian — it’s just a great, exciting, ambitious film. It’s exactly what you want to see on the big screen.”
“Ford v Ferrari,” made by 20th Century Fox before the company’s acquisition by Disney, is the biggest Fox hit yet released by Disney. Much of the studio’s previous Fox output, including “Stuber” and the X-Men film “Dark Phoenix,” has flopped. The “Ford v Ferrari” release comes sandwiched between two major Disney initiatives — the recently launched Disney+ streaming service, and the upcoming “Frozen 2” release.
Warner Bros.’ “The Good Liar,” a mystery starring Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen, was the weekend’s other new wide release. It managed a modest $5.7 million, adding to a string of underperforming adult-targeting releases for the studio, including “Blinded by the Light,” “The Goldfinch” and “The Kitchen.”
Those disappointments all pale, though, to the Warner success “Joker.” On Friday, it passed $1 billion worldwide.
Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore, applauded “Ford v Ferrari” as a quintessential crowd-pleaser, but noted the industry needs much more gas to chase down a 6.2% deficit to last year’s total domestic box office. This weekend, down 37% from the same weekend last year, didn’t help, either.
“‘Ford v Ferrari may have won the race this weekend, but the industry is still trying to get out of neutral,” Dergarabedian said. “We need ‘Frozen’ to thaw out this box office.”
In limited release, Trey Edward Shults’ anguished family drama “Waves” opened on four screens in New York and Los Angeles with a $36,140 per-screen average for A24.

Estimated Ticket Sales for Friday Through Sunday

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “Ford v Ferrari,” $31 million ($21.4 million international).
2. “Midway,” $8.8 million ($5.3 million international).
3. “Charlie’s Angels,” $8.6 million ($19.3 million international).
4. “Playing With Fire,” $8.6 million ($1.3 million international).
5. “Last Christmas,” $6.7 million ($8.6 million international).
6. “Doctor Sleep,” $6.2 million ($5.2 million international).
7. “The Good Liar,” $5.7 million ($1.5 million international).
8. “Joker,” $5.6 million ($13 million international).
9. “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,” $5.2 million ($11.8 million international).
10. “Harriet,” $4.8 million.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

US Farm Agency Withdraws Proposal Aimed at Lowering Salmonella Risks in Poultry

DON'T MISS

On Major Economic Decisions, Trump Blinks, and Then Blinks Again

DON'T MISS

Candi Is the Dandy to Add a Little Sweetness to Your Life

DON'T MISS

How Trump Tariffs Could Upend California Farms, Wine Businesses, and Ports

DON'T MISS

Tulare Man Sentenced to State Prison for DUI Crash That Injured Two Women

DON'T MISS

Judge Partly Blocks Trump Order Seeking to Overhaul US Elections

DON'T MISS

Two From Search Group That Uncovered Mexico’s ‘Ranch of Horror’ Killed

DON'T MISS

US Warns States They Could Lose Transportation Funding Over Immigration, DEI Policies

DON'T MISS

Don’t Miss Out! Tower District’s Porchfest Festival Is Saturday

DON'T MISS

Shooter in 2022 Chicago-Area Parade Massacre Sentenced to Life in Prison

UP NEXT

Is a ‘Friend-Apist’ What We Really Want From Therapy?

UP NEXT

Universal Studios Fan Fest 2025 to Feature Immersive D&D Attraction and More

UP NEXT

Americans Haven’t Found a Satisfying Alternative to Religion

UP NEXT

Thousands of Pilgrims Trek Through New Mexico Desert to Historic Adobe Church for Good Friday

UP NEXT

Katy Perry Gears Up for Sci-Fi Inspired World Tour

UP NEXT

Easter Desserts Anyone Can Make

UP NEXT

How Trump Might Unwittingly Cut Emissions From Online Shopping

UP NEXT

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Seeks Two-Month Delay of May 5 Trial

UP NEXT

Actor Michelle Trachtenberg Died of Complications From Diabetes, Says NYC Medical Examiner

UP NEXT

AI Action Figures Flood Social Media (Accessories Included)

How Trump Tariffs Could Upend California Farms, Wine Businesses, and Ports

60 minutes ago

Tulare Man Sentenced to State Prison for DUI Crash That Injured Two Women

2 hours ago

Judge Partly Blocks Trump Order Seeking to Overhaul US Elections

2 hours ago

Two From Search Group That Uncovered Mexico’s ‘Ranch of Horror’ Killed

3 hours ago

US Warns States They Could Lose Transportation Funding Over Immigration, DEI Policies

3 hours ago

Don’t Miss Out! Tower District’s Porchfest Festival Is Saturday

3 hours ago

Shooter in 2022 Chicago-Area Parade Massacre Sentenced to Life in Prison

3 hours ago

Fresno Stabbing Leaves Son Dead, Father Charged With Murder

3 hours ago

Trump Asks Supreme Court to Reinstate Transgender Military Ban, for Now

4 hours ago

California Judge Blocks Trump’s Bid to Cut Funds to ‘Sanctuary’ Cities

4 hours ago

US Farm Agency Withdraws Proposal Aimed at Lowering Salmonella Risks in Poultry

CHICAGO (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture is withdrawing a proposal aimed at reducing Salmonella risks in poultry product...

6 minutes ago

Chickens sit at a poultry farm. March 12, 2025. (REUTERS/Diego Vara/File Photo)
6 minutes ago

US Farm Agency Withdraws Proposal Aimed at Lowering Salmonella Risks in Poultry

15 minutes ago

On Major Economic Decisions, Trump Blinks, and Then Blinks Again

Candi, GV Wire's Adoptable Cat of the Week
56 minutes ago

Candi Is the Dandy to Add a Little Sweetness to Your Life

60 minutes ago

How Trump Tariffs Could Upend California Farms, Wine Businesses, and Ports

Maxwell Barrios, 28, of Tulare, was sentenced to over four years in state prison on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, for a 2023 DUI crash that seriously injured two women, including one who required a partial arm amputation. (Tulare County DA)
2 hours ago

Tulare Man Sentenced to State Prison for DUI Crash That Injured Two Women

People vote in the 2024 U.S. presidential election on Election Day in Columbus, Ohio, U.S., November 5, 2024. (REUTERS/Megan Jelinger/File Photo)
2 hours ago

Judge Partly Blocks Trump Order Seeking to Overhaul US Elections

Forensic technicians stand at a cordoned area during a media tour by Jalisco's Attorney General Office at Izaguirre Ranch, which activists have called a cartel-run "extermination camp," in Teuchitlan, Jalisco state, Mexico March 20, 2025. (REUTERS/Ivan Arias/File Photo)
3 hours ago

Two From Search Group That Uncovered Mexico’s ‘Ranch of Horror’ Killed

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speaks to reporters about Wednesday's deadly midair collision between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and American Eagle flight 5342 near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., January 30, 2025. (REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo)
3 hours ago

US Warns States They Could Lose Transportation Funding Over Immigration, DEI Policies

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend