DreamWorks Animation can finally take a sigh of relief. While it’s not going to fix all of the studio’s problems, the early success of Home is a great sign. The film is off to a fast start, while Get Hard with Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart is also doing well so far.
Home, which features the voices of Jim Parsons and singers Jennifer Lopez and Rihanna, is looking for one of the best openings for an original DWA production. The Hollywood Reporter estimates that the film made $13.5 million on Friday, which should put it on track for a $50 million weekend.
That’s much better than the lowball $30 million estimate from the studio and is a much-needed win for DWA. The studio, whose films are now distributed by Fox, had an awful 2014, with both Mr. Peabody and Sherman and Penguins of Madagascar flopping. How To Train Your Dragon 2 was the studio’s only highlight and it even got an Oscar nomination.
Unfortunately, Home came with a $130 million price tag. The studio has said that it plans on only making two features a year, instead of three, from now on.
Meanwhile, Get Hard is getting audiences laughing. The R-rated Warner Bros. comedy earned $12 million on Friday, notes Deadline. It will probably slow down a bit as the weekend goes on and is expected to finish with $33 million. Considering that it cost just $40 million to make, the studio isn’t going to be complaining.
image courtesy of INFphoto.com