House of Gucci's opening box office performance is the best for a drama movie in two years. Based on the novel The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed, the biographical dramatization of the Gucci empire centers on the marriage between Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga) and Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver) as their relationship succumbs to Patrizia's ambitions, leading to irreparable damage to the fashion dynasty and the lives of those at its core. The movie, which opened in theatres on November 24, marks the second major drama movie to come from Ridley Scott in a year, following the director's historical epic The Last Duel.
Scott's ambition toward House of Gucci is far from surprising, as Scott has wanted to make a drama surrounding the Gucci family for years, and it's clear that the director has spared no expense to bring his passion project to life. While Gaga and Driver are sure to draw in crowds with their résumés alone, House of Gucci's supporting cast is equally as impressive as its leads, with the likes of Jared Leto, Al Pacino and Salma Hayek rounding out the star-studded affair. Never one to shy away from dramatic flair, Leto fully committed himself to the role of Paolo Gucci, spending over three hours in make-up each day to achieve his dramatic look, even confusing on-screen star Jeremy Irons along the way.
Now, as reported by Deadline, it looks like House of Gucci will be a success for Scott, the movie boasting the best opening weekend for a drama for two years. House of Gucci took $14.2m over three days and $21.8m over five days, a feat not achieved at the box office by a drama movie since the success of Little Women in December 2019. Elsewhere, while still a lighter performance than usual for cinemas, the likes of Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Disney's Encanto helped bolster footfall in theaters over the Thanksgiving weekend, both movies achieving impressive returns at the box office.
While Scott has been vocal regarding his disappointment with the performance of The Last Duel, House of Gucci's figures are sure to please the veteran movie maker. Scott's latest two films also make for an interesting debate, as, while The Last Duel was a box office bomb, it was well-received critically. In comparison, House of Gucci's strong box office opening is counterbalanced by a lukewarm critical reception. It shows that the type of movies viewers are consuming is changing as the generational gap grows, and filmmakers need to be reactive if they want to be successful in a post-pandemic environment.
While the Thanksgiving box office figures will surely be a welcome sight for movie studios, viewership is still noticeably down compared to two years ago, as cinema chains continue to struggle to entice audiences back. With movie releases being pushed further and further into the future, box office performances will likely stay rocky for some time to come, at least until a sense of normality returns to the industry. Until then, at least the likes of House of Gucci can offer moviegoers some respite while it shows in theatres worldwide.
Source: Deadline
