Comedy legend Ben Stiller ripped into Variety magazine for penning a back-handed title to describe the critically-acclaimed horror film Sinners.
The Ryan Coogler-directed, produced and written vampire masterpiece hauled in an impressive $63 million take on opening weekend, which is considered a triumph for an original, non-sequel, R-rated horror film.
However, instead of praising the Michael B. Jordan-led film critically or lauding it for its box office performance, the prestigious publication communicated to its readers that the film is nowhere near breaking even, saying “profitability remains a ways away,” because of the “eye-popping $90 million price tag before global marketing expenses.”
‘Variety’ had a long and curious title for ‘Sinners’ success
Stiller, Hollywood stars come to ‘Sinners’ defense
Multiple Hollywood celebrities, including Stiller (best known for Meet the Parents, Tropic Thunder, and There’s Something About Mary) and Patrick Schwarzenegger (Midnight Sun, Moxie), defended Sinners and took aim at Variety for its curious word choice on a successful film.
“In what universe does a $60 million opening for an original studio movie warrant this headline?” he tweeted in response to Variety.
Schwarzenegger, the son of Hollywood legend Arnold Schwarzenegger, admonished Variety to slow down by saying, “It’s opening weekend …”
Many other movie fans trash ‘Variety’ for its title
The Black List’s Franklin Leonard juxtaposed how Variety treated Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood versus Sinners. Leonard noted how Tarantino made less money in his opening weekend than Coogler’s film, but was still considered a hit by the magazine.
Others chastised Variety for its racially tinged title. “Variety saw a black director doing well and said ‘not on my watch,'” one person tweeted.
The premise of the universally-acclaimed ‘Sinners’ film
Sinners, which was directed by Coogler who also handled the blockbuster Black Panther classics, is set in the Mississippi Delta during the Jim Crow era. Twin brothers Elijah “Smoke” Moore and Elias “Stack” Moore (both played by Jordan) return to their hometown after engaging in criminality in Chicago. But just when their dreams are finally realized, the brothers come face to face with a coven of vampires.
The film also stars Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, Li Jun Li, Buddy Guy, and Delroy Lindo.
