It's a joyous morning at the Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds household, with their separate films sparking their own Barbenheimer-like movement.
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| Blake Lively as Lily Bloom and Justin Baldoni as Ryle Kincaid in 'It Ends With Us.' Courtesy Everett Collection |
Sony’s female-led It Ends With Us, starring and produced by Lively, outperformed Deadpool & Wolverine on Friday, earning an impressive $24 million, including $11 million from previews. In comparison, Marvel Studios and Disney’s Deadpool & Wolverine, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Reynolds, earned $15.7 million on its third Friday.
Predictions suggest that Deadpool & Wolverine will likely regain the top spot on Saturday, potentially leading the domestic chart for its third consecutive weekend with an estimated $50 million to $56 million, while surpassing $1 billion worldwide.
Opening weekend estimates for It Ends With Us vary, ranging from $47 million to $50 million, with Sony insiders suggesting $45 million to $49 million. This would mark Blake Lively’s biggest opening in a leading role.
Regardless of the final figure, the success of both films represents a significant boost for the August box office. Overall domestic revenue is projected to be up 35% compared to the same weekend last year and 19% ahead of 2019, the last year before the pandemic.
The adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel was initially tracking for $23 million but exceeded expectations with presales hinting at around $40 million. The film’s strong performance is supported by an A-CinemaScore and a 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, reflecting high demand for female-targeted films.
Ticket buyers for It Ends With Us are 84% female, spanning all adult age groups. Among them, 60% are between 18 and 34 years old, while 33% are 35 and older. The film also appeals to a diverse audience ethnically.
It Ends With Us stars Blake Lively as Lily Bloom, a woman who overcomes a traumatic childhood to build a new life in Boston and achieve her dream of opening her own business. Her life changes when she meets neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni), leading to a deep connection.
However, as Lily falls in love, she notices troubling similarities between Ryle and her parents' relationship. When her first love, Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar), reappears, Lily faces a difficult choice and must rely on her own strength for her future.
Directed by Baldoni, the film is the first adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s books and was produced for $25 million, excluding marketing.
While some view the release of Reynolds' and Lively's movies as a direct competition, insiders suggest that both stars intended for their films to complement each other, creating a "Barbenheimer" effect where both movies capture significant attention.
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have been actively supporting each other's films, which might explain their close release dates. It Ends With Us was initially set for June 21 but was moved to August 9, a change Lively, as a producer, likely influenced.
Recently, Reynolds posted a funny Instagram video featuring himself, his mother Tammy Reynolds, and Hugh Jackman playfully interrogating It Ends With Us co-star Brandon Sklenar. Jackman and Reynolds, best friends, also joined Lively on the pink carpet at the film’s world premiere.
Historically, the last married couple with films topping the domestic box office was in 1990: Bruce Willis with Die Hard 2 and Demi Moore with Ghost.
This weekend’s new nationwide release, Lionsgate’s Borderlands, struggled, earning $1.32 million in previews and receiving a D+ CinemaScore. It’s now projected to open with $8.5 million to $10 million.
