Zec Efron’s Firestarter isn’t burning the box office. Sadly, the horror movie remake of the classic Stephen King novel is barely making a spark, since the returns thus far have come in at less than the 1984 version.
Variety reports that the thriller movie about a father (Efron), who must protect his daughter with pyrokinetic powers from the government, has come in at $5.9 million globally. That’s with opening in more than three dozen markets. For context, the 1984 film, starring Drew Barrymore, brought in $4.7 million in its first weekend in the US. Want to know how much business Firestarter did stateside? $2.9 million. Burn.
Of course, the market is significantly different now, perhaps the biggest difference being streaming. You can watch Firestarter on Peacock if you’re in the US right now, and have been able to since it opened in cinemas. These day-and-date releases exist knowing they might take a small bite out of potential theatrical revenue. That said, several films, like Dune and Godzilla Vs Kong, did very well at the box office despite going to HBO Max for the first month they were out.
Firestarter has had weak word-of-mouth and reviews, coming to just 38% on Rotten Tomatoes. Considering it’s up against Doctor Strange 2 of the MCU, and the current A24 smash hit Everything Everywhere All At Once, that kind of reception just won’t cut it.
Keith Thomas directed the film, from a screenplay by Scott Teems. Besides Efron, Firestarter’s cast includes Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Sydney Lemmon, Kurtwood Smith, John Beasley, and Michael Greyeyes.
Firestarter is in cinemas now. Check out the best Netflix horror movies for more ghostly goings-on.