Tubelight, Transformers, Baby Driver box office collection: Mixed fate for films over 1-2 July weekend

Last weekend saw the release of a wide array of films across film industries, and in Hollywood in particular. Normally, these films would not have fared well in India even if they opened a week after a major Bollywood release, such as a Salman Khan film on slated on Eid. Tubelight, however, is the clear exception to the rule, as it is the lowest grosser among all of Khan’s films released since 2011. [caption id=“attachment_3745815” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Salman Khan with Matin Rey Tangu in Tubelight. Image via Twitter[/caption] On the tenth day after its release, Tubelight made a measly Rs 5 crore, which is a slight improvement on the figures from Friday and Saturday, which were Rs 3.25 crore and Rs 4.75 crore respectively. The film has earned roughly Rs 119.86 crore in total, reports India Today. The result of this poor performance is that distributors are unlikely to profit; Rs 300-350 crore is the target the film needs to achieve for distributors to get back some of the large amounts of money they invested in buying the film, says a trade analyst speaking to Indian Express. While the theatrical rights of the film sold for Rs 132 crore, the TV and music rights were sold for Rs 55 crore and Rs 38 crore. The film is expected to earn a total of Rs 125 crore. The failure of the film has been attributed to its plot and the character Khan plays. His role in this film — that of a misfit with a developmental disability — is a stark contrast to the powerful, macho characters he is known for portraying. Transformers: The Last Knight was not received well by viewers, who even went on to call it a 'waste of resources' . Unsurprisingly, the film was not appreciated by viewers either, and it earned Rs 3.50 crore net on its opening day. Combined with with the Rs 1.75 crore it earned through paid previews, it made Rs 5.25 crore net on Friday. This film, Optimus Prime travels to the planet of his origin, the Transformers and humans are in the midst of an all-out war against each other, and the onus of saving the world falls on Mark Wahlberg, who plays an inventor in this film. [caption id=“attachment_3757507” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Still from Transformers: The Last Knight aka Transformers 5[/caption] The film is in its second week abroad where the box office collections have seen a 75% drop. While it opened with $121 million, it earned hardly $30.5 million last weekend. The film is expected to make roughly $250 million. The case of both Tubelight and Transformers were not helped by their mammoth budgets. Smaller films which were content-driven and packed with acclaimed performances fared much better. Baby Driver, touted as an action film which could give the Fast and the Furious films a run for their money, and earned  $30 million as of 2 July, after a five-day show at the box office. This is considered a big win for Sony, as the budget for the film stood at $34 million after rebates. This film stars Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Jon Bernthal, Eiza González, Jon Hamm, and Jamie Foxx. It tells the story of a young man who drives exceptionally well, and helps bad guys loot money with this skill. Despite showing in a very limited number of screens (71, to be precise), The Big Sick starring Kumail Nanjiani made $435,000 on its opening weekend, which increased to $1.67 million by the second week. These figures indicate a success for this indie film, which charmed critics across the world because of its relatable plot and performances. It chronicles the story of a Pakistani-origin stand up comedian who falls in love with an American woman and also delves into his relationship with his conservative parents.