'The Upside' Has a Surprisingly Strong Weekend
by EG
The Kevin Hart/Bryan Cranston drama-comedy The Upside performed much better than expected over the weekend and was able to move ahead of hold-over Aquaman for the box-office win. Read on for details.
Kevin Hart may not be hosting the Oscars this year, but he's proven his power at the box office once again with the better-than-expected launch of The Upside, co-starring Bryan Cranston.
The long-delayed dramedy — one of the last films made by Harvey Weinstein before the mogul's demise — beat Aquaman over the weekend with $19.6 million in a surprise victory. Heading into the frame, release tracking showed it opening to no more than $9 million to $12 million domestically.
The Upside is also a win for new Weinstein Co. owner Lantern Entertainment and STXfilms, which partnered with Lantern to distribute and market the movie. It's the first time a title from STX has opened at No. 1, as well as marking the second-biggest debut for STX behind 2016's Bad Moms ($23.8 million). The indie studio doesn't have an equity stake in the film, but will take a distribution fee.
Playing to an ethnically perse audience, The Upside hits theaters following the high-profile tumult over whether or not Hart would host the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony after the actor's past homophobic comments resurfaced.
It was hardly the only controversy surrounding the film, which centers on a quadriplegic billionaire who hires an ex-con to care for him. The Upside, which cost about $35 million to produce before marketing, staged its world premiere at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival but saw its intended March 2018 release shelved weeks later following Weinstein's downfall.
Get the rest of the story at The Hollywood Reporter.
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