Idris Elba’s ‘Beast’ takes an early bite out of the box office

Idris Elba may shine in Beast, but the survival flick is off to a rough start after earning under $1 million in Thursday’s previews.

Variety reported that Elba’s latest thriller reeled in just $925,000 after releasing in 2,900 theaters yesterday. With a budget of $36 million, not counting the promotional costs, Beast is anticipated to fall short of breaking even. It has so far earned $4.9 million internationally, and Variety predicts the film will gross around $10 million over the weekend. With the inevitable ticket sale drop-offs in the weeks to come, this Beast could be starving at the box office. 

To make matters worse for the thriller, the film will be up against stiff competition as the animated movie Dragon Ball Hero: Super Hero opens tonight. With legions of loyal Dragon Ball fans domestically, the anime is expected to earn between $13 and $15 million in its first weekend.

Despite the lackluster Thursday showing, Beast is holding its own among reviewers. While not devoid of its fair share of camp, critics are praising Beast’s spine-tingling moments. 

One of Hollywood’s most cringeworthy tropes is the jump scare. However, critics are applauding Beast’s ability to turn the overused horror cliche into the movie’s most positive aspects. The Washington Post’s Michael O’Sullivan hailed Beast’s jump scares as “genuinely jumpy, but the film plays out more like a theme park ride than a family drama with teeth. It’s pulse-pounding, in other words, from a cardiac perspective, but not especially engaging as a narrative.”

After 71 critical reviews, Beast has earned a decent 71 percent Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Meanwhile, Metacritic has the film earning 10 positive reviews with 13 neutral. The more telling sign, however, could be that only two reviews have been labeled negative, at least so far. As the weekend box office kicks into gear, the full audience reaction should tell the tale.