ActorJack Quaidhas experienced commercial success before, with the hit fifth film in the Scream series, and, more recently, with the horror filmCompanion.He also played a memorable supporting role inChristopher Nolan’s Best Picture-winning biopicOppenheimer, not to mention the legions of admirers that he has accrued thanks to a lead role in the Prime Video seriesThe Boys. But this week’sNovocainemarks his debut as a studio leading man. The Paramount movie claimed the number one spot at the domestic box office in its debut weekend, while seeing a mixed response internationally.
Novocainegrossed an estimated $8.5 million domestically, and another $1.8 million from overseas markets, fora cumulative global haul of $10.5 million. Produced ona reported budget of $18 million, the action comedy is directed byDan BerkandRobert Olsen.Novocaineopened alongside another original film,Steven Soderbergh’sBlack Bag. The espionage thriller finished second on the domestic charts, but cost around three times as much asNovocaine. However, both films earned the same B grade on CinemaScore, and currently hold “certified fresh” ratings on the aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes.
Novocaineis sitting on an 82% approval rating on RT, in addition to an encouraging 89% audience score. This suggests that the movie — in it, Quaid playsa man who feels no pain— might survive a couple of punches from competition in the coming weeks. Writing for Collider,Jeff EwingpraisedNovocainefor balancing the action with emotionally resonant moments, and wrote that the movie “adds a layer of real vulnerability that is often absent in action comedies with absurd premises.”
Quaid Is Having a Solid Run at the Box Office
Action comedieshave had an uneven run at the box office in recent years, with several of them being relegated to streaming. The ones that received theatrical runs — films such asThe Fall GuyandBorderlands— under-performed commercially. Quaid last appeared in the acclaimedCompanion, which made over $35 million worldwide against a reported budget of $10 million. The fifthScreammovie grossed nearly $140 million globally in 2022, whileOppenheimermade nearly $1 billion worldwide in 2023. Also starringAmber Midthunder,Ray Nicholson,Betty GabrielandJacob Batalon,Novocaineis playing in theaters. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Jack Quaid stars as Nathan Caine, a bank executive with congenital insensitivity to pain. When his girlfriend is kidnapped during a bank robbery, his rare condition becomes his greatest asset in a daring rescue mission.
