Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Monday 28 May 2018
‘Solo’ sputters in takeoff with $83.3M at box office

By JAKE COYLE, AP Film As it arrived in theaters, Dis-
Writer ney might have been wish-
NEW YORK (AP) — In the ing it had instead made
largest disturbance yet in a Lando Calrissian spinoff
Disney’s otherwise lucra- with the red-hot Donald
tive reign over “Star Wars,” Glover, the star of TV’s “At-
the Han Solo spinoff “Solo: lanta.” In the days ahead
A Star Wars Story” opened of release, Lucasfilm Presi-
well below expectations dent Kathleen Kennedy
with a franchise-low $83.3 said a Lando movie is a
million in ticket sales over possibility.
the three-day weekend in While the original “Star
North American theaters. Wars” films helped define
Disney estimated Sunday the summer moviegoing
that “Solo” will gross $101 experience, Disney re-
million over the four-day leased their previous three
Memorial Day weekend, “Star Wars” films in Decem-
a figure below even the ber.
opening weekends of the What most hurt “Solo” was
much-derided “Star Wars” the “fatigue factor” of a
prequels. Last week, fore- May “Star Wars” film follow-
casts ran as high as $150 ing a December one, said
million for the four-day haul Paul Dergarabedian, senior
of “Solo.” In this image released by Lucasfilm, Alden Ehrenreich, right, and Joonas Suotamo appear in a media analyst for com-
Overseas ticket sales were scene from “Solo: A Star Wars Story.” Score.
even worse. “Solo,” starring Associated Press “It’s the compressed time-
Alden Ehrenreich in the role the response that people replaced by Ron Howard. ity War” — making for an frame between the two
made iconic by Harrison have had to the film. It got With the rejiggered produc- unusually crowded May. ‘Star Wars’ films and the
Ford, grossed $65 million in- a good CinemaScore (A- tion, the budget soared “Infinity War” added $16.5 highly competitive nature
ternationally in its opening minus). The exits are very well past $250 million. million in its fifth weekend to of this marketplace. It is
weekend, including a pal- encouraging.” But the cause of the spi- bring its domestic total to summer, after all,” said Der-
try $10.1 million in China. “Solo” came in with a Mil- noff’s disappointing per- $621.7 million and its global garabedian.
“Of course we would have lennium Falcon’s worth of formance may have had sales to $1.9 billion — both “The good news is that the
hoped for this to be a bit baggage following the as much to do with “Star among the highest of all- next film isn’t until Decem-
bigger,” said Dave Hollis, mid-production firing of di- Wars” fatigue (“The Last time. ber 2019. That’s plenty of
Disney’s distribution chief. rectors Phil Lord and Chris- Jedi” exited theaters just “It is a business that is built breathing space. I think
“We’re encouraged by topher Miller, who were last month) and the stiffer on momentum but also part of the allure of the ‘Star
competition of a summer one where people prob- Wars’ brand in the past has
holiday weekend. While ably are only able to get been the long wait.”
no major releases dared to to theaters a certain num- That time might also be
open against “Solo,” Fox’s ber of weeks in a row,” said valuable for Lucasfilm and
“Deadpool 2” moved its Hollis. Disney to find a way to
release date up a week But there were also ques- counter the diminishing re-
ahead of “Solo.” tions beyond the effect the turns of its multi-billion-dol-
The gambit may have hurt calendar had on “Solo.” lar franchise. To help pro-
both releases. After debut- While reviews were gener- pel “Solo” internationally,
ing with $125 million last ally positive (71 percent Disney brought the film to
weekend, the R-rated Ryan “fresh” on Rotten Toma- Cannes Film Festival, flood-
Reynolds sequel dropped toes), there was little about ing the French film festi-
66 percent to second “Solo” that made the mov- val’s red carpet with Storm
place with $42.7 million and ie a must-see event. Troopers.
an estimated $53.5 million Fans were skeptical of Eh- “The Last Jedi” also flopped
four-day haul. renreich and uncertain in China (it was pulled from
“Solo” notched the big- about the dismissal of Lord theaters after a week), and
gest Memorial Day week- and Miller (the popular Rian Johnson’s movie —
end opening in several filmmaking duo behind even though it grossed $1.3
years, but it also came “21 Jump Street” and “The billion worldwide — showed
on the heels of a pair of a Lego Movie”). Unlike any relatively weak legs at the
summer-sized blockbusters “Star Wars” release before, box office, while proving
— “Deadpool 2” and Dis- “Solo” was deemed — divisive among “Star Wars”
ney’s own “Avengers Infin- gasp — skippable. die-hards.q

linda.reijnders@cspnv.com