As the first major NASCAR-themed motion picture since “Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby” debuted in 2006, “Logan Lucky” has some big shoes to fill. And despite a fairly underwhelming opening weekend, experts think it could still grow into them.
“Logan Lucky” struggled on its opening weekend, with early estimates suggesting it earned roughly $8 million, falling well short of director Steven Soderbergh’s $15-million target, according to Entertainment Weekly. Although the movie is off to a slow start, in spite of a stacked cast that includes actors such as Channing Tatum, Daniel Craig and Adam Driver, comScore analyst Paul Dergarabedian suggests it could find a second wind after it leaves theaters.
“There’s a lot of competition out there, and both (“Logan Lucky” and “The Hitman’s Bodyguard”) have action and comedic elements, and that’s sometimes tough when you have two similar movies,” Dergarabedian told Entertainment Weekly. “Generally, people go see one movie over a weekend, and they make one choice. “Hitman” certainly was that choice.”
In addition to its tough competition, “Logan Lucky’s” poor performance out of the gates can be partly attributed to its release date. Films with early-August launches that similarly have been aimed at young adults reportedly have struggled in recent years.
What’s more, Dergarabedian claims the recent slump in ticket sales across the entire industry factored into the equation.
“There aren’t as many people in theaters watching trailers, and no one could have seen that coming a year ago,” Dergarabedian said, “that we’d be sitting on a 13-percent summer deficit, which brings the whole marketplace down.”
It’s unlikely that “Logan Lucky,” which features cameos from various NASCAR drivers, will match the $148,213,377 gross domestic revenue of “Talladega Nights” — via Box Office Mojo — due to the dramatically different media climate nowadays.
But don’t count it out just yet.
Thumbnail photo via YouTube/Bleecker Street
