Strapping themselves in for the ride of a lifetime
‘Ford v Ferrari’s’ Matt Damon and Christian Bale relished chance to work together and make an adult drama.
Both Matt Damon and Christian Bale have driven at death-defying speeds onscreen — Damon, most notably, as superspy Jason Bourne, and Bale, of course, behind the wheel of the Batmobile. But in their personal lives, neither would describe himself as a car nut.
Indeed, when director James Mangold first approached them about starring in the new high-octane period drama “Ford v Ferrari,” which chronicles how the staid Ford Motor Co. attempted to unseat the perennially dominant Ferrari at the 1966 Le Mans auto race, neither actor was aware of the real-life history. But in the story of the sometimes turbulent partnership between pioneering automotive designer Carroll Shelby (Damon) and maverick British driver Ken Miles (Bale), the two saw an exciting opportunity not only to share the screen for the first time but also to deliver the sort of big, entertaining movie for adults that used to be a mainstay of Hollywood and is now a rarity.
“I think you don’t have to give a damn about cars at all,” says Bale. “Everybody can relate to the story in terms of the passion they have for something that they want to do with their lives and the hurdles that are standing in their way, whether it be from outside sources or demons in them
Fox’s “Ford v Ferrari” raced to the top this past weekend as Elizabeth Banks’ “Charlie’s Angels” crashed and burned.
Directed by James Mangold, “Ford v Ferrari” debuted in first place with $31 million, well above projections of $20 million, according to estimates from measurement firm Comscore. Despite the showing for a film aimed at adults, the overall box office was down versus a year ago for a fifth straight weekend, falling 37.6% short of the same three-day period in 2018, when “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” opened with $62.2 million. The year-to-date total now stands at $9.7 billion, 6.2% below last year.
Starring Christian Bale and Matt Damon, the $97million “Ford v Ferrari” takes place in 1966 and tells the real-life story of two men who helped the Ford Motor Co. become the first American company to win Le Mans, the world’s most prestigious sports car race.
Audiences responded with a rare A-plus CinemaScore, and the picture scored a 92% “fresh” rating on movie review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes.
At No. 2, Lionsgate’s “Midway” added $8.8 million. In third place, Sony’s rebooted “Charlie’s Angels” opened with $8.6 million, well below projections of $12 million to $13 million.
Written, directed by and costarring Elizabeth Banks, the movie features Kristen Stewart, Ella Balinska and Naomi Scott as the new trio of Angels in the Charles Townsend Agency’s now global operation.
The $50-million picture is in the same canon as the ’70s television series, McG’s 2000 film of the same name and his 2003 sequel, “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.” It earned a mixed reception, with a B-plus CinemaScore and a 59% “rotten” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
At No. 4, Paramount’s “Playing With Fire” added $8.6 million. In fifth place, Universal’s “Last Christmas” added $6.7 million. At No. 6, Warner Bros.’ “Doctor Sleep” added $6.2 million.
At No. 7, the studio’s “The Good Liar” opened with $5.7 million. The movie, with Ian McKellenand Helen Mirren, earned so-so reviews with a B CinemaScore and a 63% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
In eighth place, Warner Bros.’ “Joker” added $5.7 million. At No. 9, Disney’s “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” added $5.2 million. And in 10th, Focus Features’ “Harriet” added $4.8 million.