Adam Sandler’s ‘Blended’ Bombs At The Box Office
Adam Sandler’s Blended proved once again that the comedian’s brand of empty-headed humor is quickly starting to lose its box office appeal.
If Jack & Jill didn’t convince you that the former Saturday Night Live cast member’s cinematic career was coming to a close, behold Sandler’s latest big-screen endeavor. The romantic comedy reportedly gave Adam his worst opening weekend in history, suggesting that his lukewarm brand of chuckles can no longer turn a buck.
According to The Huffington Post, Adam Sandler’s latest “comedy” earned $18.2 million during the extended Memorial Day weekend. If you take Monday out of the equation, then that figure is a little worse. Over the course of three days, Blended earned around $14.2 million. Considering Sandler’s previous track record at the box office, these definitely aren’t good numbers.
Why did the film perform so poorly during a weekend that’s usually great for business? According to the folks at Warner Bros., nice weather ultimately crushed Adam Sandler’s hopes for another box office hit. If sunshine is all it takes to keep people away from your movie, then you’re probably doing something very wrong.
“‘Blended’ was hampered from maximizing its potential. The A- CinemaScore will help grow our box office as we continue into the lucrative summer playtime,” Warner Bros. domestic distribution president Dan Fellman told The Hollywood Reporter.
Gawker points out that the lack of interest — or positive reviews, for that matter — may not matter too much to Adam Sandler. During his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the Billy Madison star admitted that shooting the movie was essentially an excuse to hang out at the South African resort Sun City.
“When you decide to make a film, do you say ‘I wanna make this film somewhere where I can be on vacation?'” Kimmel asked his guest.
Adam’s response: “Yes.”
With the exception of Grown Ups 2 and Hotel Transylvania, Sandler hasn’t enjoyed a lot of success in recent years. Jack & Jill and That’s My Boy were both flops at the box office, both critically and financially. Sandler’s inability to evolve is reminiscent of that guy at your high school reunion who is still spewing the same batch of lame jokes. The schtick is getting old, and the movies are suffering as a result.
If Adam Sandler isn’t interested in changing his tune, then maybe studios need to spend less on his movies. Considering Blended still made $18.2 million over the weekend, he obviously still has a fanbase. All Adam needs to do is adjust his budgets. Instead of spending $40 million to make a comedy, Sandler should take a cue from Tyler Perry’s playbook. Critics hate his movies, but they always manage to turn a profit. While we’re waiting to see if he takes the advice, expect Grown Ups 3 next summer.
[Image via Warner Bros. Pictures]
