There was only going to be one winner at the box office this weekend, and it wasn’t going to be the whimsical road trip comedy Dog, despite enthusiastic reviews.
Longtime creative collaborators Channing Tatum and Reid Carolin partner up to make their respective directorial debuts, with the duo also producing the heartwarming tale, while Carolin wrote the script. In case you didn’t notice, there’s another Sony-backed blockbuster starring Tom Holland in town, but it would be an understatement to say that Uncharted won’t be doing Spider-Man: No Way Home business.
That’s not to say the video game adaptation is going to flop, especially when it’s been revealed the globetrotting adventure has pulled in a decent $3.7 million from Thursday previews. That’s higher than pre-pandemic titles including Sonic the Hedgehog and Kong: Skull Island, so there’s every chance Uncharted could soar significantly higher than the estimates that have it pegged for a four-day debut in the $40 million range.
As for Dog, Tatum’s return to starring status nabbed an solid $1.7 million, with the low budget counter-programming to Uncharted looking to be smart positioning. It’s only predicted to reach $12 million or so, but that’s an impressive start for given the continued disadvantages faced by projects that don’t come bearing name recognition or franchise potential.