The book club can’t topple comic books, as Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” will easily hold off the opening of “Book Club: The Next Chapter” to retain the top spot at the box office.
“The Next Chapter” earned $2.14 million on its opening day, projecting a debut of $7 million for the three-day frame. That’s on the lower end of estimates heading into the weekend. While there’s hope that the Focus Features release will be able to earn a boost in ticket sales on the Mother’s Day holiday, the sequel won’t be able to match its predecessor. Released by Paramount in 2018, the first “Book Club” debuted to $13.5 million before legging out to a $68 million gross in North America — a solid result for an older-skewing comedy, especially before the COVID pandemic impacted the theatrical landscape.
Numbers across the board are down for “The Next Chapter,” with a 42% approval rating from top critics on review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes (down from the first film’s 45%), as well as a lukewarm “B” grade through research firm Cinema Score (down from an “A-“).
Starring Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen “Book Club: The Next Chapter” follows four best friends as they trade their immaculately designed kitchens for the streets of Italy, throwing a bachelorette party for Fonda’s character, Vivian. It’s received mixed reviews, with a current score of 49% on Rotten Tomatoes. In his review, Variety‘s Owen Gleiberman called it a “cookie-cutter sequel,” but one that’s still “sweetly romantic.”
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is still expected to rake in $50 million to $55 million in its second weekend of release. Last weekend, the James Gunn-directed film got off to a strong start with a $118 million opening.
More to come…
