Monday Morning Quarterback
By BOP Staff
January 26, 2016
Kim Hollis: Dirty Grandpa, the Robert De Niro/Zac Efron comedy, debuted with $11.1 million as it finished in fourth place. What do you think of this result?
Jason Barney: There are scant budgetary numbers on this one, but I can't imagine that it cost that much. So, on the budgetary front, it isn't a disaster. $11 million against a probably low- to mid-level budget isn't awful.
That is, however, the only neutral news for Dirty Grandpa. I think the concept is borderline offensive and find it sad that filmmakers and actors wanted to move forward with the project. I know there is a lot of humor that is always borderline, but Dirty Grandpa just seems over the top and unnecessary. I'm not surprised the RT rating is as low as 8%, and this product is going to drop like a stone.
Unfortunately, Netflix will probably pick it up before summer.
Ben Gruchow: I have approximately one hour left until my showtime for this one starts. In the meantime, I will observe the 8% Tomatometer reading, be an eternal optimist, and hold out a sense of hope until it can no longer be held out. I barely remember the trailer, and an $11 million opening isn't too bad considering that I last saw it only two weeks ago. Zac Efron hit a floor last summer as far as opening-weekend disappointment with We Are Your Friends, so I can't imagine he's going to view this as too much of a black mark on his career. I find it hard to believe that De Niro even cares one way or the other; this has the look of a movie that's going to roll off its cast's backs like water, good or bad.
Ryan Kyle: For a movie that has gotten universally slammed by critics with one of the harshest drubbings in memory, a $11.1 million opening isn't bad for an imaginably cheap production. Mother nature left some change on the table with most of the East coast being shut down with snow, so the second weekend drop might be less terrible-than-usual (although I hope the extra week gives some moviegoers time to reflect if it is really worth spending their money and time on what every critic labels as "dreck"). The opening is about $3 million more than Efron's January 2014 throw-away comedy That Awkward Moment, which is a fine comparison. If it follows that film's trajectory it will wind up with about $35 million, which is right in De Niro's average grossing range at the moment (i.e. Grudge Match, The Family, The Big Wedding, Killer Elite, etc.).
Kim Hollis: I guess I'm the only person who thought it would make a little bit more than it did. I'm not talking about a world-breaker or anything; still, I figured it could pull in $15 million or more. People often support De Niro in these types of roles, and it certainly received a ton of advertising. I think it's pretty clear that Zac Efron isn't a draw, but he'll recover fine from this with the Neighbors sequel in a few months.
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