‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ Could Miss Expectations

The book on which the movie was based sold more than 100 million copies worldwide and about 45 million in the United States. The audience for the book was mostly women in their 30s, 40s and 50s, a Random House executive told the Atlantic last week. Nielsen data suggests that a third of the U.S. books were purchased by people between 18 and 29 years of age — millennials.

The Friday night audience for “Fifty Shades of Grey” was 78% female, according to a report at Deadline Hollywood, and “males loathed it.” The Valentine’s Day audience is expected to include more males, but that one-day bump seems destined not to last.

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The movie mavens at Box Office Mojo pointed out last Friday that in order for “Fifty Shades of Grey” to reach the $100 million mark it would have to succeed as a date movie and not just as a film that appealed mostly to young women, as the book apparently had. Without a healthy number of men buying tickets, there is little chance for the film to hit the triple-digit mark.

There is also the backlash against the movie from a rather unlikely coalition of feminists, religious leaders and groups espousing American family values. Some see it as exploitation of women and others as pornography. To what extent any criticism is holding down ticket sales is arguable.

The Twilight series opened with $36 million on its first day, versus an estimated $30.2 million for “Fifty Shades.” Universal Studios is anticipating a four-day total of around $76 million, but that may be high. Both the first Twilight movie and last year’s “The Fault in Our Stars” had similar opening nights, and if “Fifty Shades” performs comparatively at the box office, it is headed for a total of $70 million, according to Box Office Mojo.

The other major new release this weekend, “Kingsman: The Secret Service” from Twenty-First Century Fox Inc. (NASDAQ: FOXA), sold an estimated $10.5 million in tickets for Friday night’s opening on 3,204 screens. The film is on track to meet a three-day projected total of $32.5 million.

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