LOS ANGELES (DPA) – Charlie's Angels director Elizabeth Banks is not letting one dismal opening weekend crush her spirits.
The girl-powered action flick starring Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska as the franchise's newest class of spies performed well below expectations at the box office upon its release.
It landed in third place at US$8.6 million (S$11.7 million), behind the Oscar-buzzy Ford V Ferrari and the glossy war drama Midway, which made an additional US$8.8 million in its second weekend – despite getting torn apart by critics.
Banks, who wrote, directed, produced and stars in the latest Angels instalment, put on a brave face for Twitter on Tuesday (Nov 19), defending the project against its poor sales.
"Well, if you're going to have a flop, make sure your name is on it at least 4x," the quadruple threat joked. "I'm proud of #CharliesAngels and happy it's in the world."
Modest projections for the US$50-million Sony reboot came in at about US$12 million to US$13 million after a robust marketing campaign that included two trailers, a full press tour and a lavish music video featuring pop superstars Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus and Lana Del Rey.
Critical reception for the film has been mixed, with The Los Angeles Times' Kenneth Turan calling its ambition "exemplary" but "the execution nothing to write home about."
Leading to its release, Banks has been an outspoken champion for the revival and its feminist messages.
In addition to spearheading efforts behind the scenes, the Pitch Perfect (2012) alumnus also plays a vital role on screen as Bosley, a former Angel acting as one of Charlie's agents in his new and improved Townsend Agency.
"I wanted really exceptional women in their fields," she told The LA Times ahead of the film's Nov 15 opening. "That was first. I also wanted to remind people that women can be exceptional in fields that are typically the purview of men. That's sort of the DNA of Charlie's ARead More – Source
