‘Daddy’s Home 2’ and ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ impress at the box office

The responses of the audience to “Daddy’s Home 2” and “Murder on the Orient Express,” have shown that there is an audience for such Movies. A study of the age group of viewers revealed that the older people love such storylines, and both of these recently released movies have made it big at the box office.

Obviously, it acts as a breather for Hollywood which has been worried about some movies that flopped. Paramount, one of the big-time names in the industry had a number of movies that did not come up to expectations, among them was “Baywatch”.

Box office is happy

New York Times reports that, although “Thor: Ragnarok” (Walt Disney Studios) continued to occupy the No. 1 slot for the second week, “Daddy’s Home 2” and “Murder on the Orient Express” have made their presence felt. These movies failed to get rave pre-launch reviews but did not disappoint at the box office.

“Daddy’s Home 2” (Paramount) earned about $30 million which was in excess of predictions. It cost around $70 million to make, and it is expected to not only recover the cost but also bring smiles to Hollywood. The cast includes Mark Wahlberg, Mel Gibson, Will Ferrell and John Lithgow. The average age of more than 50 percent of the audience was beyond 35.

“Murder on the Orient Express” (20th Century Fox) is a remake with a star-studded cast.

It generated ticket sales of slightly over $28 million in the domestic market with another $45 million from overseas. These were more than expectations. The cost of making the film was in the region of $55 million. The cast has names like Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, and Daisy Ridley. It is directed by Kenneth Branagh who portrays the role of Hercule Poirot, the inimitable Belgian detective created by Agatha Christie.

The movie has appealed to a large section of the audience who were aged over 35.

The audience wants a change

Hollywood is passing through trying times with Celebrities involved in scandals. Well-known names of the industry are in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. It will be difficult to identify the starting point, but the number of skeletons that have tumbled out of the cupboards is mindboggling.

In this context, movies like “Daddy’s Home 2” and “Murder on the Orient Express” have come as a breath of fresh air, and have impressed the box office. They have also sent a message that old is gold, and the industry must realize that there is an audience for such movies.