Drive-Away Dolls had a disappointing box office performance in its first weekend of release. The first solo feature film of director Ethan Coen, known for films such as O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men and True Grit, had a disastrous start at the box office.
It fell behind Madame Web, which ended in a flop
The leading actors of the film, Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan, play two friends who accidentally find themselves in the middle of a criminal network when they take a car that is supposed to carry a mysterious package to the town during a spontaneous journey.
According to Variety, Drive-Away Dolls had a very poor start at the US box office in its first weekend of release. The film earned a total of $2.5 million in three days, barely making it into the top 10 on the list of most watched movies.
Drive-Away Dolls, which only found its place in the 8th place on the list, fell below the superhero movie Madame Web, which ended in a huge flop at the box office.
The film, which was released in 2,261 theaters, was expected to gross approximately $4 million in the first weekend, but the earnings did not reach this estimate. 66-year-old Coen wrote the script with his wife Tricia Cooke.
Critics say “It won’t make a profit”
According to critics, it seems unlikely that distributor Focus Features, which bought Runaway Girls for $20 million, will make a profit. The movie, which had a middling score of 66 out of 100 on the review compilation site Rotten Tomatoes, had a much lower audience score. The road movie could only get 34 points from the audience.
James Berardinelli from ReelViews started his review by saying “It’s not a terrible movie” and continues his review as follows: “But it seems like a failed attempt at infusing the Coen Brothers’ cynical aesthetic into a B-movie landscape. The idea is of course daring, but the result is not very successful.”
A story of two ladies going south
Drive-Away Dolls movie storyline. Drive-Away Dolls follows Jamie, an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way.
Drive-Away Dolls is an American comedy road film directed by Ethan Coen. Coen wrote the screenplay with his wife Tricia Cooke; they also produced the film with Robert Graf and Working Title Films’ Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. It stars Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Colman Domingo, Pedro Pascal, Bill Camp, and Matt Damon. Drive-Away Dolls is set to be released in the United States by Focus Features on February 23, 2024.
Drive-Away Dolls (2024)
Directed by: Ethan Coen
Starring: Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Colman Domingo, Pedro Pascal, Bill Camp, Matt Damon, Joey Slotnick, Annie Gonzalez, Abby Hilden, Connie Jackson
Screenplay by: Ethan Coen, Tricia Cooke
Production Design by: Yong Ok Lee
Cinematography by: Ari Wegner
Film Editing by: Ethan Coen, Tricia Cooke
Costume Design by: Peggy Schnitzer
Set Decoration by: Nancy Haigh
Art Direction by: W. Haley Ho, Gregory A. Weimerskirch
Music by: Carter Burwell
MPAA Rating: R for crude sexual content, full nudity, language and some violent content.
Distributed by: Focus Features (United States), Universal Pictures (International)
Release Date: February 23, 2024
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