14 DAY TRIAL // Last November’s Sony Hack revealed that even studio bosses were losing faith in Adam Sandler and his ability to make good movies, after a string of critically panned and commercially non-viable releases.
“Pixels,” the latest movie starring Sandler distributed by Sony, may not get bosses to change their mind on that: The Hollywood Reporter says that its US opening weekend of only $24 million (€21.6 million) is a disappointment, especially considering its high production costs, of upwards of $88 million (€79.5 million).
The film is yet to open in many international markets, so chances are it might still make a profit by the time it finishes its theatrical run, but this is not a “good start for a summer tentpole,” the report says. It is definitely not the start Sony was expecting, especially given the star-studded cast.
The fact that it opened to such disappointing reviews (it got an 18% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, out of a possible 100%), is making studio bosses prepare for the worst in terms of box office performance in the following weeks.
“Pixels” stars Adam Sandler as lead, but it also features appearances from Kevin James, Peter Dinklage and Josh Gad. It’s directed by Christopher Columbus and tells the story of a group of friends battling an alien attack inspired by the famous Pac-Man video game.
