Scarlett Johansson’s Big Budget Rom-com ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ Could Be Walking the Same Doomed Path as Ryan Gosling’s ‘The Fall Guy’ – Early Signs Show
- Rom-coms often struggle to make money in Hollywood.
- Scarlett Johansson’s flick might also face the same challenge.
- It comes after its hefty $100M budget and star-studded cast.
Hollywood loves a good romantic comedy, but turning a profit on them can be tricky. While big-budget action flicks often rake in millions, rom-com with A-list stars sometimes fall flat.
Is Scarlett Johansson’s latest project, Fly Me to the Moon, be the next victim? This romantic comedy-drama film is set against the backdrop of the intense Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1960s.
Johansson plays Kelly Jones, a marketing specialist tasked with revamping NASA’s public image. Channing Tatum stars as Cole Davis, the NASA director in charge of the historic Apollo 11 launch.
As Jones and Davis work together, they develop a romantic connection. The story is interesting. However, early box office numbers suggest it might be following a similar path to Ryan Gosling’s latest flop, The Fall Guy.
Scarlett Johansson’s Fly Me to the Moon Might Have a Small Opening Weekend
Despite its $100 million budget and a star-studded cast featuring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, Fly Me To The Moon is struggling to take off. LA Times predicts an opening weekend gross of just $10 million — a modest return for such a high-investment film.
This disappointing performance mirrors the fate of The Fall Guy, a big-budget comedy that flopped despite having a popular star, Ryan Gosling. To make matters worse, the low-budget horror movie, Longlegs, is surprisingly stealing the spotlight.
Made for a fraction of the cost of Fly Me To The Moon, Longlegs is expected to open at number two at the box office, possibly earning over $20 million in its first weekend (via LA Times). This success story shows the risk of spending huge budgets on rom-coms, especially when a well-promoted horror film can grab the audience’s attention for much less money.
Can Fly Me To The Moon Recover?
The studios behind Fly Me To The Moon are still hopeful. They mention past examples like Anyone But You, a rom-com that started slow but ended up being a hit. However, Will Gluck-directed movie was much cheaper to make, so it was easier to turn a profit. Fly Me To The Moon will need a big boost to make back its money.
The struggles of the film raise questions about the future of big-budget romantic comedies. Studios might rethink the financial viability of the genre, especially when horror movies are doing so well. Moviegoers may want different experiences, or perhaps making a hit rom-com has become harder. It shows that a big budget doesn’t guarantee a big win, especially in the competitive world of romantic comedies.
Fly Me to the Moon is currently screening in theatres!
