With movie theaters struggling to pull in the same sized audiences they used to pull in before the pandemic, Hollywood has made considerable changes to their theatres-to-home media windows. Now, if a movie isn’t a financial hit, studios routinely release films to PVOD within weeks of their theatrical debut to capitalize on the publicity of theatrical campaigns. We’ve seen this happen over and over again with movies that didn’t perform up to expectations (such as The Fall Guy), and now New Line’s buzzy horror flick Companion makes its VOD debut only eighteen days after its theatrical release.

Directed by Drew Hancock, Companion is produced by Barbarian’s Zach Cregger, and stars Sophie Thatcher as a young woman on a weekend getaway with her tech-bro boyfriend, played by The Boys’ Jack Quaid. Of course, there’s a MAJOR twist the trailers spoiled, but if you don’t know what it is, I’m not going to spoil it here.

The reviews for this one were great (our own Tyler Nichols loved it), but despite a better-than-average B CinemaScore rating (high for a horror flick), the movie struggled to find an audience in theaters. To date, it’s only made $19 million domestically. As such, it’s no surprise that WB wants to capitalize on the movie’s word-of-mouth, with it also likely to hit MAX within the next few weeks (no date has been announced yet).

However, this does beg the question that if audiences know a movie will be available to watch at home within three weeks of opening day, does that prevent them from going to see a potential sleeper hit? It’s hard to say, as the windows aren’t all that much shorter for movies that are hits, with Universal also releasing One of Them Days on PVOD today (thirty days after it opened), despite that movie having been a solid hit. They even put out Dog Man (which opened the same day as Companion), which is still making loads of money at the box office, so I guess they figure it doesn’t make much of a difference in the end. Wicked, one of the year’s biggest hits, hit VOD within six weeks of opening but still made a mint. Maybe the notion that a movie being available digitally keeps audiences away from theaters is old-fashioned? Let us know what you think in the comments!

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The weekend numbers are in, and as expected, Dog Man easily topped the box office, with the Captain Underpants spin-off outperforming all expectations – including our own. The Universal/Dreamworks animated film made a solid $36 million this weekend, paving the way for a long run at the box office, with not too much in the way of competition for family audiences coming out until Captain America: Brave New World, which comes out on the President’s Day holiday weekend.

However, New Line’s Companion, which is earning buzzy reviews and atypically strong word-of-mouth for a genre film (it earned a B+ CinemaScore), had a disappointing opening, only making $9.5 million. Hollywood execs are no doubt scratching their heads over why a buzzy horror flick starring Yellowjackets’ Sophie Thatcher and The Boys’ Jack Quaid didn’t manage to open higher, especially given that it marks the directorial debut of Barbarian writer Drew Hancock. Some are pointing the finger at WB’s marketing department, with them seemingly unable to capture the zeitgeist in the way indie distributors like Neon or A24 have in recent years; with horror increasingly becoming more associated with indie labels, audiences have more faith in these days. For proof, look no further than Universal/ Blumhouse’s disastrous Wolf Man reboot, which is already out of the top 10.

There’s some faint hope Companion might be able to capitalize on word-of-mouth. Still, next weekend sees the release of a more easily classifiable horror flick, the slasher movie Heart Eyes, which may steal some of its thunder. Meanwhile, Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King was in third place, with a $6.1 million weekend and a $229 million total. While not one of their bigger recent hits, word-of-mouth has allowed the film to perform better at the box office going into 2025 than expected. The low-budget comedy One of Them Days is also making good money, with the $6 million weekend adding to a $34 million total. 

Last weekend’s champ, Flight Risk, has a more modest decline than expected, with ComScore reporting a 52% drop and a $5.6 million weekend for a total of just over $20 million. Given the poor word-of-mouth, the film is performing decently for Lionsgate. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was in sixth place with $3.22 million and a $230 million total, making it the highest-grossing entry in the series. Disney’s Moana 2 is also still making money, with a $2.8 million weekend and a $453 million total.

Next up are two Oscar contenders, with A Complete Unknown continuing a successful run with $2.16 million and a hefty $66 million total. The Brutalist also performed reasonably well as it expanded to more locations beyond its initial 70mm Roadshow release, making $1.8 million for a $12.1 million total. Finally, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, which just got greenlit for a follow-up, rounded out the top 10 with $1.6 million and a $34 million total. It’s also now on PVOD. 

Next weekend seems poised to be a modest one, with neither Love Hurts nor Heart Eyes expected to pose much of a threat to Dog Man’s box office reign. Will you be seeing either? Let us know in the comments!

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Earlier this week, we predicted that Dog Man was going to take a huge bite out of Companion’s opening weekend, and it looks like the gulf between both is getting wider as the weekend goes on. Dog Man, which is an animated spin-off of the Captain Underpants series, is opening much higher than we expected, with it likely to earn a massive $35 million at the weekend box office. By comparison, Deadline is revealing that Drew Hancock’s Companion might not break the $10 million mark this weekend, with it opening in a distant second place.

Now, the news isn’t all bad for Companion. Sporting excellent reviews (including from our own Tyler Nichols), and a solid B+ CinemaScore (very high for a horror flick), word of mouth should be good. Horror fans might discover this one in the coming weeks, although it will have steep competition from the gory rom-com, Heart Eyes (which we also enjoyed), next weekend. However, the budget is said to be a tight $10 million, so there’s a good chance this will still turn a profit for the studio, especially once it hits streaming (expect a MAX debut in about six weeks or so). 

Meanwhile, the weekend’s other major opener, Valiant One, starring Outer Banks’s Chase Stokes, is barely making any impact at all, with it likely only on track for a $700k weekend. It won’t even make the top 10. As expected, last weekend’s champ, Flight Risk, is losing altitude at the box office, although given the bad word-of-mouth, the week-to-week decline of 53% isn’t bad, with it looking at about $5.5 million for the weekend. With a total above $20 million, this micro-budget thriller directed by Mel Gibson should turn a much-needed profit for Lionsgate.

Check back tomorrow for our full box office round-up!

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Marketing a movie is very difficult, especially in this day and age. So many streaming services and other elements are always vying for your attention. So, I’m trying not to hold it against Companion that the marketing spoils a massive element in the trailer. As someone who has seen the film (and absolutely loved it), it’s definitely something you should avoid, but not something that entirely ruins the film if you know it. Even still, I’m a movie lover first, so I refuse to elaborate for those lucky enough to avoid plot points. The interview gets into the spoiler-filled marketing, so check back after you’ve seen the film if you’ve avoided the trailer so far.

As a massive fan of all involved, I was absolutely honored to sit down with stars Jack Quaid, Sophie Thatcher, Lukas Gage, Harvey Guillen, Megan Suri, and writer/director Drew Hancock to discuss the film. We got into the marketing, how it spoils a major part of the film, and why the movie still holds up despite that. And I made sure to give Jack some love for all of his RedLetterMedia appearances. This is probably my favorite interview ever, so you’re definitely going to watch the video above!

COMPANION RELEASES IN THEATERS ON JANUARY 31ST, 2025.

The post Interview: Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher Get Into Companion (And Its Revealing Marketing) appeared first on JoBlo.

Universal and Dreamworks Animation‘s Dog Man is taking a bite out of crime during its debut with $1.36M in box office previews. The beat-patrolling pooch’s silver-screen launch is on par with other Dreamworks preview earnings, including The Bad Guys ($1.15M) and Trolls Band Together ($1.3M). According to Quorum, Dog Man could be the first box office blowout of the year as families flock to theaters for the canine cop’s feature-length presentation. “Dog Man has been on the rise. Two weeks ago, it was tracking behind Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie, which opened to $23M. Today, awareness and unaided awareness are much higher than Paw. Could Dog reach $30M? It certainly seems possible,” said Quorum. According to other analysts, Dog Man, set in the world of Captain Underpants, could snag an impressive $40M based on the desire for family-friendly fare at the cinema.

The official synopsis for Dog Man reads: “When a faithful police dog and his human police officer owner are injured together on the job, a harebrained but life-saving surgery fuses the two of them together, and Dog Man is born. Dog Man is sworn to protect and serve—and fetch, sit and roll over. As Dog Man embraces his new identity and strives to impress his Chief (Lil Rel Howery), he must stop the pretty evil plots of feline supervillain Petey the Cat (Pete Davidson). Petey’s latest plan is to clone himself, creating the kitten Lil Petey, to double his ability to do crime stuff. Things get complicated, though, when Lil Petey forges an unexpected bond with Dog Man. When Lil Petey falls into the clutches of a common enemy, Dog Man and Petey reluctantly join forces in an action-packed race against time to rescue the young kitten. In the process, they discover the power of family (and kittens!) to bring even the most hostile foes together.”

Dog Man also stars Isla Fisher (Wedding Crashers) as TV reporter Sarah Hatoff; Poppy Liu (The Afterparty) as Petey’s assistant, Butler; Stephen Root (Barry) as Grampa; Billy Boyd (The Lord of the Rings) as Sarah’s cameraman, Seamus; and Ricky Gervais (The Office) as Flippy the fish.

Elsewhere, Drew Hancock’s psychological thriller Companion nabbed $1.1M in Thursday previews. The twisted dark comedy starring Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, and Harvey Guillén could bank $8M to $11M during its opening weekend, but thanks to great word of mouth, that total could change.

JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols loved Companion, giving the film a 9 out of 10 in his review. He says Companion excels at “delivering utterly fantastic performances” and features plenty of “twists and turns.” Damn. If I weren’t going to see Nosferatu a second time, I’d check out Companion this weekend. I also want to see Dog Man in the worst way. I am JoBlo’s resident animation freak, after all.

What do you plan to see at the cinema this weekend? Let us know in the comments section below.

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PLOT: A billionaire’s death sets off a chain of events for Iris and her friends during a weekend trip to his lakeside estate.

REVIEW: There are two different types of people I’m speaking to with this review. The first are those that either haven’t seen anything or just viewed the teaser trailer for the film. The second are those that watched the second trailer that released on January 8th and even Jack Quaid warned against watching. Now to that first set of people, Companion is a great thriller about relationships, power dynamics, and morality. Please stop reading here as you were fortunate enough to have a very clean experience with this movie. Go watch Jack Quaid, Sophie Thatcher and Lukas Gage kick some performance ass and give us one of the greatest horror films of the year.

To the second people, you’ve already had a large portion of the film spoiled for you by the film’s marketing. Sorry but that’s the cold hard truth. And given that was a major trailer, I feel that its contents are fair game. However, I also hate spoilers myself and would hate to be the reason that someone wasn’t able to go into this experience as fresh as possible. So those who don’t know, jump to this timecode for the wrap-up and rating.

Again spoilers to follow, but I’m only getting into what was shown in the trailer. All other stuff is safe.

Companion follows Josh and his girlfriend Iris as they go on a weekend trip with a bunch of friends. There, it’s revealed that Iris is actually a sex robot, and the weekend takes a decidedly darker turn when Iris does the unthinkable. The film is able to make intriguing points about our relationship with technology and how neglectful it can make us to the human experience. And also just how much shitty people would exploit this kind of tech. Despite its high concept, the filmmakers are really able to make the world feel grounded and lot of that can be attributed to its wonderful cast.

The performances in Companion are absolutely brilliant with everyone involved getting their chance to shine. Sophie Thatcher is obviously the star of the show, getting to play with so much nuance as a robot suddenly becoming self-aware. She’s in such control of her facial ticks and movement that it’s easy to be convinced she’s a robot. And I love that she gets a moment that is clearly a nod to The Terminator. Jack Quaid continues to be a charismatic lead, all while showing the character of Josh is a bit of an asshole. There are certainly some parallels with his character here and the one he played in Scream 5, though Josh seems a bit more toned down. It’s funny how the nicest guys can play the biggest jerks with ease. Megan Suri, Harvey Guillen, and Rupert Friend help to color the world and populate it with interesting people. I was most impressed with Lukas Gage who, after his incredible turn in last year’s Smile 2, is really showing a ton of range.

Writer/Director Drew Hancock provides a look at a world that could easily become a reality. I’m sure there will be some people that view this world with rose-tinted glasses but I found the concept horrifying. True relationships result in growth and two people blend their own lives in a way that requires sacrifice from both parties. And Companion shows how much making someone into your ideal mate, while ignoring all elements of their true self, results in an experience lacking in truth. And Hancock is able to weave exposition into the dialogue in a way that doesn’t feel too obvious.

Between this film, Hellraiser (2022), and The Boogeyman, I’m discovering I’m a big fan of cinematographer Eli Born. I love a shallow depth of field, smooth camera movements, and a widescreen presentation, all of which Born does beautifully. The score/sound design has this tranquil quality, really lulling you into the heightened world. There are also more than enough moments of levity, with the horror more being in the concept and events, than the tone and vibe. This is definitely one you can watch in group settings.

Honestly, the biggest slam against Companion is its marketing. Why on earth would you give away the hook in the trailer when there was already enough mystery that, that didn’t need to happen? The January release also doesn’t show much faith in the movie by the studio, which given the quality of the film, is genuinely baffling.

Ultimately, I loved my time with Companion. And given its baffling marketing, I’m genuinely not sure how the reaction will be. I loved the journey of the first act, as you’re trying to figure out what the hell is happening and it’s a shame that some people will be robbed of that. But ultimately, a film is judged based on its quality from start to finish and not how it was promoted, and I absolutely adored it. Featuring some of my favorite actors of the genre delivering utterly fantastic performances to the twists and turns, this is one I can’t wait to revisit time and time again. Here’s just hoping this future is further away than it looks.

COMPANION RELEASES EXCLUSIVELY TO THEATERS ON JANUARY 31ST, 2025.

Companion (2025)

AMAZING

9

The post Companion Review: The Best Movie That Marketing Spoiled appeared first on JoBlo.

Never underestimate a family film at the box office. Dog Man, the upcoming animated movie based on Dav Pilkey’s children’s graphic novel series of the same name, is projected to open with a box office take in excess of $20 million.

The official synopsis for Dog Man: “When a faithful police dog and his human police officer owner are injured together on the job, a harebrained but life-saving surgery fuses the two of them together, and Dog Man is born. Dog Man is sworn to protect and serve—and fetch, sit and roll over. As Dog Man embraces his new identity and strives to impress his Chief (Lil Rel Howery), he must stop the pretty evil plots of feline supervillain Petey the Cat (Pete Davidson). Petey’s latest plan is to clone himself, creating the kitten Lil Petey, to double his ability to do crime stuff. Things get complicated, though, when Lil Petey forges an unexpected bond with Dog Man. When Lil Petey falls into the clutches of a common enemy, Dog Man and Petey reluctantly join forces in an action-packed race against time to rescue the young kitten. In the process, they discover the power of family (and kittens!) to bring even the most hostile foes together.“

Dog Man also stars Isla Fisher (Wedding Crashers) as TV reporter Sarah Hatoff; Poppy Liu (The Afterparty) as Petey’s assistant, Butler; Stephen Root (Barry) as Grampa; Billy Boyd (The Lord of the Rings) as Sarah’s cameraman, Seamus; and Ricky Gervais (The Office) as Flippy the fish. The film will hit theaters on January 31st.

Companion, a horror film from the producers of Barbarian, is also hitting theaters. It’s not quite the same audience as Dog Man, but the film is expected to open somewhere between $8 million and $10 million. Reviews have been great, so word-of-mouth could boost this one. Set to open on January 31st, the film stars Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, and Harvey Guillén. It also seems that this is one of those movies that’s best to go in blind, although the trailers have already given away a little too much. Even Quaid cautioned against watching anything beyond the teaser. You can check out a review from our own Tyler Nichols right here.

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