Universal’s new action film, “The Fall Guy,” made a splash at the North American box office, debuting with an estimated $28.5 million in earnings. Despite the challenging climate for movie theaters, the film, based on a 1980s TV series and directed by David Leitch, delivered stunning action sequences and boasted the star power of Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. While some analysts viewed the opening as disappointing considering its $130 million production cost, others see it as a potential start of an action comedy series.
In second place was Disney and Lucasfilm’s re-release of “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace,” which surprised with $8.1 million despite being a 25-year-old film and available for home viewing. Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, and Natalie Portman star in this installment of the Star Wars franchise.
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Last week’s chart-topper, MGM’s “Challengers,” slipped to third place with $7.6 million. The film stars Zendaya as a retired tennis star who helps her husband prepare for a match against her former lover.
A new horror film, “Tarot,” from Sony and Screen Gems, debuted in fourth place with $6.5 million. While receiving poor reviews from critics, the film, which cost $8 million to make, offers a plethora of horror clichés.
Warner Bros.’ “Godzilla vs. Kong: A New Empire” rounded out the top five with $4.5 million in its sixth weekend. The monster battle movie has earned $188 million domestically and $337 million globally to date.
Overall, April proved to be a challenging month for Hollywood, with the domestic box office down 48 percent compared to pre-pandemic Aprils. The industry continues to grapple with the aftermath of strikes from the previous year.
