Neon’s ‘Longlegs’ Thrives at Box Office While ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ Flops

Neon’s horror movie “Longlegs” is surpassing expectations with its domestic box office debut, while Apple’s high-budget romantic comedy “Fly Me to the Moon” struggles to attract moviegoers.

Thanks to an effective marketing campaign, “Longlegs” is expected to rake in over $20 million across the U.S. and Canada from Friday through Sunday, according to studio estimates. This figure exceeds earlier forecasts of $15 million to $18 million for the film, which follows an FBI agent hunting an occultist serial killer.

The modestly budgeted film is written and directed by Oz Perkins and features performances from Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, and Blair Underwood.

“Longlegs” seems set to become a standout hit in the horror genre, which has recently seen several underperforming titles. It’s predicted to secure the No. 2 spot domestically this weekend, trailing behind “Despicable Me 4.” The animated sequel is looking at a $44-million haul in its second weekend, bringing its U.S.-Canada box office total to $210 million.

In contrast, Apple’s “Fly Me to the Moon,” distributed by Sony Pictures, isn’t faring as well. The space-age romantic comedy stars Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum but is only expected to open with about $10 million. This is a disappointing start for a film rumored to have cost $100 million to produce.

Both studios hope that the Greg Berlanti-directed film will have greater longevity than the average Hollywood release. The thinking is that the movie’s older target audience typically doesn’t rush to theaters on opening weekend.

Sony’s earlier release, “Anyone But You,” also opened with lackluster numbers but went on to gross a respectable $88.3 million in U.S. theaters. However, that film had significantly lower production costs, making its path to success less challenging.

Source: Los Angeles Times