Despite receiving positive reviews and a headline-grabbing media campaign, 1992 struggled to find an audience in theaters.
The crime thriller starring Tyrese Gibson, Scott Eastwood and the late Ray Liotta debuted with $1.4 million between Friday and Sunday, box office tracking company Comscore reported.
That wasn’t enough to make the top ten.
When the Labor Day holiday is included, the film is expected to earn $1.7 million over the 4-day frame.
Related: ‘1992’ Trailer – Tyrese Fights for His Family in LA Riots Thriller
The R-rated thriller played in 875 locations and earned a modest $1,560 per theater.
But it wasn’t because of a lack of press.
Tyrese made appearances promoting the film on local TV and radio stations across the country, as well as Good Morning America; Extra; Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast; the “Million Dollaz Worth of Game” podcast, and “The Breakfast Club” radio show, where he broke down in tears over his divorce and the deaths of several loved ones in recent years.
1992 follows a man named Mercer (Tyrese), who desperately tries to rebuild his relationship with his son as the 1992 Los Angeles Riots unfold. Across town, another father and son (Liotta and Eastwood) put their own strained relationship to the test as they plot a heist at the factory where Mercer works.
Ariel Vromen (The Iceman) directed the thriller and Snoop Dogg executive produced through his Death Row Pictures banner. The film sold to Lionsgate after making the festival circuit.
At the red carpet premiere in Los Angeles last week, Snoop Dogg said he was drawn to the film because of the storyline involving the 1992 unrest.
“I actually lived through 1992, so I understood a couple of things that actually happened in that movie,” he said. “And I felt like the story, the great acting, and the great directing, I wanted to be a part of it in any way I could.”
Critics gave the drama mostly positive reviews, with a 67 percent score out of 100 on Rotten Tomatoes.
Moviegoers who saw the film gave it high marks and an “A-” CinemaScore.
1992 wasn’t the only new release to struggle this weekend. Sony’s sci-fi thriller Afraid starring John Cho opened in ninth place with $3.7 million from 3,003 theaters over three days.
Roadside Attractions’ human trafficking drama City of Dreams; Bleecker Street’s Slingshot; and Well Go USA’s You Gotta Believe all failed to make the top ten.
Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, called this “one of the slowest Labor Day weekends in recent memory.”
“1992 like Afraid and several other fresh releases were always going to have a tough go this weekend, particularly with mainstays like Deadpool, Alien and It Ends With Us continuing to dominate the late summer movie marketplace,” Dergarabedian told Urban Hollywood 411 on Sunday.
Deadpool & Wolverine topped the box office again with $15.1 million between Friday and Sunday.
Alien: Romulus held onto second place with $9.3 million.
It Ends with Us was third, after bringing in another $7.4 million.
Newcomer Reagan, a biopic about the nation’s 40th president, opened in fourth place with $7.4 million.
Twisters rounded out the top five with $7.1 million.
Check out the box office chart below:
.@Comscore reports this weekend’s overall total estimated 3-day Domestic box office is $81M & YTD 2024 (now at $5.740B through Sunday) is down 14% vs. 2023. Note: Summer season ‘24 (May 3- September 2) will finish with an estimated $3.66B. @csMoviesUS @CSGlobalMovies -… pic.twitter.com/rwikA0QyVw
— Paul Dergarabedian (@PDergarabedian) September 1, 2024
Discover more from Urban Hollywood 411
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
