
A Game of Shadows Box Office Disappointing in Opening Weekend
“Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” is not delivering the extremely strong opening weekend many box office-watchers had hoped for.
Early estimates have “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” taking in $14.5 million on Friday and on track to a weekend in the $37.5 million range. That is nowhere near the $60 million that some optimistic box-office watchers had predicted for the Warner Bros. movie.
With the domestic box office coming off its worst weekend since September 2008, the movie business could use a hero — or at least, a holiday season like the one it had in 2009.
Two years ago, the original “Sherlock Holmes” opened to $62.3 million over Christmas weekend.
“Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” reunites Robert Downey Jr., as the private detective Holmes, with Jude Law playing his sidekick, Dr. Watson. In “A Game of Shadows,” Holmes and Watson go after their nemesis, the evil Professor Moriarty.
Guy Ritchie, who directed the 2009 film, which grossed nearly $525 million worldwide, returned to the director’s chair for the sequel. “Game of Shadows” cost about $125 million to produce.
The movie has a good 69 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. According to research firm NRG, 93 percent of males from both age quadrants report awareness of the “Sherlock Holmes” sequel. About 65 percent of males older than 25 — and 64 percent of those 25 and younger — say they have “definite interest” in seeing the film, while 29 percent of both groups call the movie their “first choice” to see next time they’re in the theater.