Negative reviews of Dennis Quaid’s Ronald Reagan biopic Reagan aren’t stopping audiences from going to see the film.
Starring Quaid as the 40th president of the United States, Reagan opened in theaters on August 30 to a smattering of bad reviews by Rotten Tomatoes critics.
At the time of opening, the film received an 18% “rotten” RT rating based on 40 reviews. Since then, 21 more reviews have been added to the aggregation website and the 18% “rotten” rating hasn’t changed.
However, another crucial number on Rotten Tomatoes hasn’t changed, either. Upon opening, Reagan received a 98% “fresh” Audience Score based on 500-plus verified user ratings. As of Saturday, more than 5,000 verified users have weighed in and the Audience Score remains at 98% “fresh.”
Deadline projects that Reagan will take in $4.7 million in North American theaters this weekend to take No. 5 at the box office. Should the projection hold, it will boost the film’s take to $23.5 million at the domestic box office. Unlike most major film releases, Reagan is not playing in any international markets.
While Reagan, which is rated PG-13, has remained a draw in theaters, it’s not a hit quite yet. According to box office tracker The Numbers, the production budget for Reagan was $25 million before prints and advertising costs.
Also starring Penelope Ann Miller as Nancy Reagan and Mena Suvari as Jane Wyman, Reagan is playing in 2,450 theaters nationwide, down 320 venues from last week.
‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Leads Box Office Top 5
Not surprisingly, director Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is set to capture the No. 1 spot at the box office again this weekend, per Deadline, with more than $50 million in ticket sales.
Debuting in the No. 2 slot is the James McAvoy psychological horror thriller Speak No Evil with a projected $12.3 million in domestic ticket sales. Meanwhile, Deadpool & Wolverine came in at No. 3 with $5.5 million in ticket sales, boosting its domestic tally to an estimated $621.1 million.
Coming in at No. 4 ahead of Reagan is conservative podcaster Matt Walsh’s documentary Am I Racist? with an estimated $4.7 million in domestic ticket sales in its debut.
Reagan isn’t the only film featuring a conservative political figure in theaters before the November presidential election. Sebastian Stan plays a pre-President Donald Trump in The Apprentice, a film that chronicles Trump’s rise as a real estate mogul under the guidance of his attorney Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong).
The Apprentice is set to open in theaters on October 11.
Read the full article here