Summer movie season kicks off with subdued debuts for Fall Guy and Phantom Menace
This summer's movie scene has been buzzing with big names - from the much-anticipated Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to the brand-new Barbie film. Welcoming the summer of 2024 was a double throwback with The Fall Guy and a reboot of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. With an '80s TV show remake and a '99 film re-release gracing theatres on the same weekend, expectations were high for a spectacular summer. However, the recent box office numbers seem to tell a different story.
Individually, these two movies did alright, with The Fall Guy raking in $65.4 million globally, and a significant chunk of that, $28.5 million from North America. Despite falling short of predicted domestic earnings of $30-40 million, it boasts solid reviews, which could help it finish on a high note. The Phantom Menace gained $8.1 million nationally and $14.5 million overall. A growing prequel interest and the sneak peek of The Acolyte series on Disney+ lent it a helping hand.
However, The Fall Guy's opening numbers show a significant drop compared to those from 2023 and 2022, leaving Variety calling it the softest summer movie start in almost 15 years. The usual Marvel kick-off with the release of Guardians in May was missing this year, leaving a noticeable void. Prior years had Marvel cameos with Guardians opening last year on May 5 to $118.4 million and Doctor Strange 2 seeing $187.4 million. Deadpool & Wolverine had been planned for release alongside Fall Guy, but production was halted in July due to strikes and only had a month's worth of shooting left. It's no surprise then that this year's numbers have dropped by 53% for 2022 and 66% for 2023.
Looking ahead, May's inventory is teeming with blockbusters. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is slated for release next week, with plenty of hype behind it. Following closely on May 17 are suspenseful offerings like The Strangers: Chapter One and If. The roaring note of the month will be the May 24 release of Furiosa, conveniently timed to ride into Memorial Day weekend.
June's first weekend boasts three big movies: the comical duo Will Smith and Martin Lawrence return with Bad Boys: Ride or Die, the Shyamalan family presents the unsettling The Watchers, and Russell Crowe steps into the horror genre once more with The Exorcism.
For more movie news, stay tuned to learn about future releases in the Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek universes. Keep an eye out for the next steps in theDC Universe, the future of Doctor Who, and other exciting updates in the world of cinema.
(Historical context and trend information from io9 data sources.)
- Despite the success of new movies like 'The Fall Guy' and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace in the summer of 2024, the recent box office numbers indicate a decline compared to previous years, with 'The Fall Guy' showing a significant drop compared to 2023 and 2022.
- The upcoming movie releases in May 2023, including Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Furiosa, and The Strangers: Chapter One, are anticipated to boost the movie scene, marking a return to traditional summer blockbuster season.
- In June 2023, moviegoers can look forward to the return of the comedic duo Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in Bad Boys: Ride or Die, the Shyamalan family's unsettling offering, The Watchers, and Russell Crowe venturing into the horror genre once more with The Exorcism.
- For cinematic updates and news on upcoming releases in universes like Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, DC, Doctor Who, and more, be sure to follow io9 for the latest trends and historical context in the world of movies.
