(To be clear, this wasn’t meant as a diss on Pitt but rather to question whether $30 million really is “disappointing” given his “star power,” per Variety’s spin.)
— Bilge Ebiri (@BilgeEbiri) August 7, 2022
“Bullet Train,” a John Wick-ian romp with Brad Pitt in the aisle seat, arrived in theaters with a $30.1 million opening weekend. That’s enough to top the domestic box office, but it’s a middling result given “Bullet Train’s” $90 million price tag and Pitt’s star power. The Sony Pictures release will need to maintain momentum in the coming weeks as it tries to break even or turn a profit.
“A big film like this with lot of expectations should have had stronger debut,” says Jeff Bock, senior media analyst with Exhibitor Relations. “That said, there’s not a lot of competition in August, so ‘Bullet Train’ should have a good window to make its mark in the coming weeks.”
“Bullet Train” is trying to prove that an action flick that isn’t based on a well-known property can defy the odds and resonate with audiences. But part of the issue for the film is that critics weren’t on board. “Bullet Train” landed a mediocre 54% approval rating on review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, with many reviewers faulting the movie for being overly derivative. Variety chief film critic Peter Debruge was mixed on “Bullet Train,” writing that “neither the characters nor the film they inhabit are particularly deep.”
International Box Office: Brad Pitt’s ‘Bullet Train’ Nets $32.4 Million, ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Nears $700 Million Mark https://t.co/fEgutJqiMx
— Variety (@Variety) August 7, 2022
“Bullet Train,” a hyperviolent action thriller with Brad Pitt providing the propulsion, racked up $32.4 million at the international box office.
The Sony Pictures release, which carries a hefty $90 million budget, has earned $62.5 million worldwide over its opening weekend. The studio says that those results indicate the film in on pace to match hits such as “Murder on the Orient Express” and “Kingsman: The Secret Service.” Pitt’s latest effort was available in 73% of the international market or more than 15,900 screens. It was the top-grossing global release of the weekend.
“Bullet Train,” a star-studded film about battling assassins, performed best in the U.K., where it had a 5-day total of $3.5 million, followed by France with $3.1 million and Mexico with $3 million. In addition to Pitt, “Bullet Train” stars Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Sandra Bullock and Bad Bunny.
