In just three weeks, Charlie’s Angels will finally fly again after over 15 years away from the big screen. However, it sounds like these badass lady spies may not soar to the top opening weekend, per the latest box office tracking for the mid-November release. Charlie’s Angels' estimated first weekend numbers have lowered since last month from $29 million to a meager $16 million.
The Elizabeth Banks-directed comedy starring new spy team Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska is expected to open in the under-$20 million range against Ford v. Ferrari. The James Mangold car racing film starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale is expected to take the No. 1 spot with a $23 to $30 million range, per Deadline. It should be noted that box office tracking isn’t always accurate and Charlie’s Angels could certainly end up surprising. But, these estimates are not promising for the female-led reboot.
Charlie’s Angels was made on a reported $48 million production budget, which included being shot in exotic locations such as Hamburg, Germany and Istanbul, Turkey. If it opens at $16 million, it would mark a slow start – particularly given what we thought the movie would be making domestically a few weeks ago. The movie might pick up some dollars internationally, but it is looking like it will be a slow start here.
This past summer's Dora and the Lost City of Gold was working with a similar budget, cracked a $17 million opening, ended its run with a $115 million worldwide gross, and is unfortunately considered one of the season’s biggest bombs. Charlie’s Angels does seem catered to a niche audience of young females, with relative newcomers at its forefront, aside from Kristen Stewart’s leading role.
Charlie’s Angels does benefit from the buzz of releasing the pop song “Don’t Call Me Angel” in tandem with its marketing. The empowering song featuring Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus and Lana Del Rey debuted at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, and its music video has 98 million views on YouTube.
The 2019 reboot will follow the movies starring Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore by McG. The 2000 movie opened at $40.1 million and made $264 million worldwide, and the 2003 sequel had a comparable $37.6 million debut and $259 million in global earnings. Those movies had much higher production budgets of $75 million and $120 million, respectively.
Charlie’s Angels may also be threatened by Terminator: Dark Fate, which opens a couple weeks earlier and has received early positive reviews. Just a week later after Charlie's Angels drops, Frozen II will likely clear the path and freeze up the staying power of other releases as well.
Who knows? Charlie’s Angels may still surprise! We'll have to wait for first reactions to roll in! The movie hits theaters on November 15. Will you be checking it out opening weekend? Sound off in the comments below!
