Jennifer Lawrence’s new R-rated comedy, “No Hard Feelings,” hits theaters this weekend and made $2.15 million in previews at the box office.
The raunchy comedy from Sony is predicted to open with a soft $12 million in its opening weekend, which may not bode well considering its $45 million budget. It’s been a tough time for R-rated comedies at the box office lately, with the once profitable genre nearly going extinct. Besides this year’s “Cocaine Bear,” which made $87 million worldwide, the last few comedies, like Sony and Bert Kreischer’s “The Machine,” Billy Eichner’s “Bros,” Sebastian Maniscalco and Robert De Niro’s “About My Father” and Jo Koy’s “Easter Sunday,” haven’t not found much box office success.
Lawrence stars as Maddie, an Uber driver facing bankruptcy after her car is repossessed, in “No Hard Feelings.” But her luck changes when she accepts an odd Craigslist ad from two parents who want their awkward, 19-year-old son to try dating before going to college. In exchange for a new car, Maddie teaches the introverted Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman) how to drink, party, skinny dip and much more.
“No Hard Feelings” is directed by Gene Stupnitsky, a writer and director on “The Office” who made his directorial debut with 2019’s R-rated comedy “Good Boys.” That film, about sixth-graders who get caught up in several adult misadventures, made $2.1 million in previews and opened with $21 million at the box office. It ended its run with $111 million worldwide.
Warner Bros.’ “The Flash” is expected to remain No. 1 this week with $22 million to $25 million in its sophomore outing. That would be around a 60% drop from its $55 million opening last weekend. Pixar’s “Elemental” is aiming for $14 million to $16 million in its second weekend, and Sony’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” could web up around $13.5 million to $15 million in its fourth weekend. After its initial limited release, Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City” is targeting $7 million to $8 million in its first weekend going wide.
