Did you go to see Runner, Runner this weekend? Probably not. The big story for this weekend’s box office was the domination of Gravity. I was expecting Gravity to do well – the critical praise for the film was universal – but I didn’t think it would do as well as it did. Gravity made $55.6 million in North America this weekend, mostly because of the boost it got from IMAX and 3D theaters. So, good news for Sandra Bullock, who is still the reigning box office champion time after time. She’s having a great year – The Heat was a box office success as well. Basically, I’m saying that if Sandra wants an Oscar nomination this year for Gravity (and probably a Golden Globe nomination for The Heat), all she has to do is show up.
But for me, the more interesting story is Runner, Runner and how Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake barely promoted it and how it couldn’t even break $10 million even though it was playing in 3000 theaters. It’s easy enough to blame this mess on Justin, mostly because HE was “the star” and Hollywood just won’t admit that the boy can’t act whatsoever. But let’s give Ben Affleck some blame too. This was the first “Ben Affleck movie” to come out since he won the Oscar for Argo. THIS is how he followed up his Oscar. These are the kind of career decisions that lead to Gigli and Jersey Girl. No joke. And this is dude who will be Batman? HA.
Here are some photos of Justin playing golf this weekend. So much for shilling his new movie. Attention to producers: this is what you get when you hire Justin Timberlake. Not only is he a terrible actor, but he’s also awful at standing up and promoting his work. So why are you still hiring him?!
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.
When you name a movie “Runner,Runner”, it is destined to be a stinker.
No surprise there–I couldn’t even watch the whole trailer.
I was sitting there LAUGHING at Ben Affleck–I mean really dude? This is the sort of movie that you do when you have no money.
Yep, the trailer was horrible. I’m just sad Gemma Arterton is in it, love her.
I love her too! She always stars in duds though.
Wow I didn’t even know about this movie until now. And Affleck is supposed to carry the next Batman movie? Not sure THAT is such a great idea.
I stopped watching at the line “and that’s if I don’t eat”.
The only role I ever liked him in was in Bad Teacher and only because I thought his character was a douche bag, and that is who I think he is in real life, a douche bag.
Lainey (I know) pointed out how when Affleck was going for his Oscar, he was everywhere with his kids and wife, but for this movie the premier and then nothing. No happy family time at all only Justin playing golf.
I was dragged to this by my friend, and half of the audience started talking and texting about 20 minutes into the movie when they realized it’s really not getting better. Justin has the emotive ability of a radish. He had the dumbest glazed-over look for a supposed “financial whiz” at Princeton. I was hoping that he would get stabbed at the end because that’s how I felt like doing to my friend for making me waste $12!! Lol. DO NOT WATCH.
Emotive ability of a radish! Bwahaha! Thanks, Buckwild- hilarious.
Hilarious, because Justin Timberlake is not only a shit actor, but a major douche.
Hopefully this means his “acting” career will soon be over.
Yes. I’m just hoping Timberlake doesn’t ruin Inside Llewyn Davis too much. I really want to see that film, and I still love the Coen Brothers, bad casting choices notwithstanding.
Neither hilarious nor sad is the right word. Predictable is more the right word.
Justin is one of the worst singer-turned-actors ever. Runner Runner looks like a joke.
I agree, Anna. I so agree.
Let’s write Justin a tiny, heartfelt note:
Dear Justin; sometimes in life, dreams and projects and desires just don’t turn out the way we want them to. It happens; it’s the way life is and there are tough, beneficial lessons to be learnt from all the broken dreams we have to face in a life time.
Justin, sit down here next to me.
Have a cookie.
Good.
Now listen carefully: you CANNOT act.
Let it sink in for a few moments.
You cannot act.
It is that simple. Now, I understand you; I wanted to be an actress too, someday. Unfortunately, having an expressive face and the ability to emote is just not enough. It takes something more, something neither you nor I have. So let’s just let go of that. It won’t happen. Let it go. It’s ok.
You have an amazing talent: you’re a great singer and can put on a very good show. Build on that, be great at that.
Sincerely, RM
Rocket merry For Monday President!
Unfortunately, his mom has built him up over a lifetime of telling him “you are special” and he and Jessica reinforce that in one another across from the dinner table each night. He will never get your message. It will never occur to him that he sucks.
You’re wrong, RocketMerry!! It was the critics who caused the movie to bomb! The critics!
No it was Sandra Bullock’s fault that Gravity overshadowed his greatness! Lol
He’s like the Blaine Gabbert of acting. Just painful to watch and you wonder when it’s going to be over out of mercy.
love this
I watched his interview on Alan Carr Chatty Man last night and he was so boring and trying so hard to be funny that he put me off for how dumb he is. The trailer was horrible and the film is probably even worse.
Just watched Friends With Benefits this weekend, and he was awful in it. Distractingly awful- he said all his lines like he was in a high school play.
Why do people keep giving him roles? SNL and an album every once in a while is all I can stomach.
I am starting to wonder if Ben Affleck should totally move behind the camera instead of in front of the camera.
I think you are right. The movies he has had a creative had in, Argo, The Town, Good Will Hunting, are all excellent movies. He is a mediocre actor (which is still heads above Timberlake) but he seems to be a skilled director and writer.
+1000
this is correct.
There is something just so oft-putting about Timberlake as an actor. I cringe when I see him.
That picture of Timberlake and Affleck looks like a douche convention. Timberlake cannot act at all. Affleck is slightly better but should stay behind the camera. I did like Argo, even though I didn’t feel that he should have cast himself in it.
Haha Douche convention! Yes!
THIS. Big surprise that audiences don’t want to go watch a movie about two douches portrayed by two douches. Pass.
Makes me wonder if he isn’t a big success on the casting couch. What other explanation can there be?
Was wondering the same thing..but something just tells me he is a lousy lay..
IMO JT is not that bad as an actor. There are quite a few actors in Hollyweird who took lessons and acting is their only job and they’re not good at it. As for Runner Runner I had no desire to see it and I’m a fan of Ben. I saw Gravity instead; money well spent.
I was hoping someone would have a similar opinion lol. Granted I’ve only seen Justin in Alpha Dog and The Social Network, but seriously he was decent in both. Certainly there are definitely worse actors out there that keep getting roles, and worse singer turned actors.
He had a small role in Samuel L. Jackson’s movie Black Snake Moan and he wasn’t too bad in that either. I also liked him in “In Time”
He’s pretty bad, but the roles everyone keeps mentioning where he was decent were small, supporting, or ensemble roles. He is NOT a leading actor. There are far too many in his age group with exceptional talent to be bothered with JT. Stick to cameos and MUSIC!!
Hey I’m not jumping on Timberlake’s fanclub just stating that there are worse actors out there than him. Also In Time did ok and that was sold as a Timberlake vehicle. Friends With Benefit got good reviews, explain that. I actually think JT and Ashton are up to par with each other and Ashton is considered just an actor even though he started as a model.
Yeah but it’s not exactly a vote a confidence to say “well, there’s worse out there”.
I mean, yes, there’s always worse but that doesn’t make Justin Timberlake the new Daniel Day-Lewis either.
Sounds like Dumb and Dumber.
Timberlake was good in ALpha Dog. I haven’t seen him perform similarly well in his other films. He was ok in Social Network but that’s because he is playing himself.
I feel bad that I love it when Timberlake bombs.
Why feel bad? When life grants you something good (ie that Justin the douche and his movie bomb) I think we should all enjoy it 😉
Neither sad or hilarious but expected…
I don’t know why Hollywood and Justin Timberlake insist on inflicting Justin Timberlake, the actor, on us.
JT works well on Saturday Night Live. Just because one is good on SNL does not mean one should be an actor.
As for Affleck, he is a MUCH better director then actor.
The previews for this did not look good and it seemed like they were just selling this as Timberlake and Affleck in a movie rather than the plot.
THIS!! Who is trying to make that man child happen? Why? Are his demo fans SO coveted that we gotta continue suffering stink bomb after stink bomb in the name of making this Pinocchio a real life Human actor??
Also this is NEVER sad is always hilarious to see Vanity projects bomb and the incorrigibly broken ass Movie Picker that lives inside Ben Affleck’s brain
LOVE your comments. Always right on point.
He’d probably be good in D*ck in a Box:The Movie.
I agree as long as they do not let him out of the box.
LOL TG!
Haven’t seen it, but that is a bad open for 3000 screens. The things I’ve seen JT in (TSN, Alpha D, Time flick) haven’t offended me by his presence, but not a huge fan. Yes, Ben should get blame/mocked too. It’s not like he needs the money– even if he has gambled away all his Daredevil cash (it’s possible with his track record), he always has Jen’s Alias tv $$$ (unless she’s locked it away in a prenup or something). I’m not offended by him as actor either, but he has been in some really bad movies which I couldn’t even finish. Either he has no taste or no shame or both.
Justin Timberlake is the worst actor…why, oh why, can’t he just go back to making music. And, I love Ben Affleck, he is one of my forever dongs, but I really wish that he would just direct. That really seems to be his forte. I really don’t even think Ben is a bad actor, he just picks really bad scripts to act in…
What a mean spirited article.
-Jessica B.
Haha! Mean Spirited? You don’t come here very often do you Jessica?
I think you missed the joke…
JT’s over-acting is just too annoying for my taste. Ben is a talented guy, although I didn’t see what the big deal was about Argo, took me about 3 days to get thru. I guess it was a slow year for movies for it to win best picture.
It was Hollywood patting itself on the back by giving a nod to a film where Hollywood is essentially the hero, nothing more.
Argo sucked. It used every worn out storytelling trope in the book, and just rode them to the point where it was beyond pathetic.
Great point as to why Argo won. I just could not figure it out. It wasn’t that good.
How does this person continue to get work? He has no technical acting skills whatsoever and is clearly not a box office draw.
Expected. Justin can’t act to save his life and Ben should just stop casting himself in movies. Far better director than actor.
I’m getting inordinate glee in this bomb. Two douches, huge egos, one bomb. Delicious!
you can’t act either, jessica. deal with it.
They didn’t promote it because they knew it sucked. This movie probably would have gone straight to DVD except that Affleck won the Oscar and Timberlakd had an album out this year. The producers thought that maybe they could fool some filmgoers into shelling over their money before the DVD release.
You’re probably right but sometimes when a movie sucks or the reviews are bad, the actors should promote it MORE and maybe people will come and see it anyway just because they like the actors. Remember when WWZ was said to be awful by the critics? Brad Pitt worked his butt off to make it a hit. I really admired him for doing that. I think Timberlake and Affleck should have done the same. At least give it a try to show you care.
I think that I would respect an actor more for going out and promoting their shitty movie, rather than pretending like they didn’t ever make it. At the very least, that shows that they’re a team player and willing to go to the bat for their projects—which is useful in an age where we have all these young actors and actresses that shit on their work and like to pretend like they’re Daniel Day Lewis or Meryl Streep 2.0.
I have a lot of respect for the promotion Pitt did for World War Z and I think him being honest about the troubles that the movie did have but also being willing to put his face on it and out there for it helped it tremendously at the box office.
Wasn’t here or another site that featured an article about Emma Thompson calling out actors who don’t promote their projects basically saying if you don’t believe in it, why should you expect the audience to believe in it?
Is Justin morphing into Robin Thicke or vice versa. Now that Justin is investing in regular hair relaxing treatments, can barely tell them apart anymore.
@Skins there have been dumber winners for best picture than Argo what about when Oliver won in 1969 becoming the last G rated family film to do so when there were better choices in the running Funny Girl Lion In Winter & Rachel, Rachel the later two becoming the first to r Rated films ever to be nominated in the best picture category. true though Timberlake can’t act to save his life yet he wants to be compared to people like Michael Redgrave Peter O’toole & Paul Newman all of whom are at least Oscar nominated though Newman was the only one to actually win and it was on his 7th nomination in the Best Actor Category in 1987 for the Color Of Money.
Does anyone else think Ben Affleck in this movie looks like he did during his JLo days? Total Gigli.
Oh yes completely. I was beginning to like ben again and he decides to do this awful, awful movie. So disappointed in him and now he looks cheesy as the new batman. Why ben, why? Justin has never been an actor and he proves it every time he’s given a new role. Hollywood ptb deserve the losses from this movie….its a crappy movie all round.
the trailer for this trainwreck was such a cringe-fest. hahahaha Timberlake sounds like he inhaled a gallon of helium before every scene. looked so poorly made. who would PAY to watch this when you can watch gravity! god, i need to go see it in IMAX 3D. people are saying you SHOULD watch that in IMAX…
Gossip from my boricuas in San Juan, where they filmed. Affleck was a gentleman and super nice; Timberlake was a total diva.
Not exactly ground breaking news, I know.
IMO These are two of the worst actors out there. Not surprised Affleck (aka quack quack Ben Aflac) and Timberlake (aka Justin Simplyfake)were in a dud. Btw, I saw the trailer to Gravity and almost got sick – the fast-moving trailer with Sandra twirling about gave me motion sickness). I will not be seing the flick for that reason.
Ben Affleck gets a pass for this one, as long as he doesn’t start going down the road of my aking more crap. B/c Argo was THAT awesome, I’m cutting him a break.
I love love love JT – but he cannot act. He needs to stick to singing! It’s what he does best.
I hope this shows how Affleck has skid by all these years in HW. His success has always came off the back of someone else. He directed a couple of films and was not the sole
writer on either of them, so this has proven left to his own divices he can pick really crappy projects or that’s is what is just offered to him either way. Timberdouche just speaks for himself. The only thing I am sad about is Anthony Mackie. I would have loved to see him promote.
it’s hilarious to think that a movie in wich Justin-why-do-i-try-to-be-an-actor-when-i-obviously-suck-at-it-Timberlake bombed. JUST a bit sad for Ben Affleck, but after all, he hs others projects, soo.
I’m sad for Gemma Arterton, okay.
Everyone makes a stinker now and then, and it’s not the first time a studio has put out a film like this to cash in on one of the actors publicity.
But I am sick of Justin being cast in acting roles. I’ve seen him in a few, and I think he’s really terrible.
Timberlake gives me the creeps…his eyes always make him look like a crazed serial killer. Ugh!
I don’t understand why Timberlake keeps getting acting jobs if he is bad in his acting.
Affleck should just stick to directing. He is very stiff when he acts.
I saw Don Jon three times this weekend.
Everyone forgets that people watch films outside of the US, and guess what, it raked in a lot overseas.
So the situation is not completely dire.
That being said, I cannot believe Rush did not gross more, it was amazing.
THIS! A lot of movies that don’t do well here make a lot of money in other places and don’t get credit for it. Hollywood is basically insulting movie fans all over the world by trashing a quality film that makes good international money just because it is not a domestic hit.
But it seems like people here desperately need their denial.
well the trailer looked bad, and frankly the story is a little tired and really JT is carrying the movie? No sorry. Ben really needs to talk to Matt or something, I mean he is a truly talented director and he is coming off great success with Argo why is he taking these stupid projects?
It is hilarious because they are both such narcissistic d-bags. They love themselves way too much and in my opinion are very overrated. This just makes me dread Affleck as Batman even more.
Um…can we talk about those photos and the monster that appears to be in his pants?! No way that can be real – what does he do, strap a prosthesis to his leg? Check out the third photo from the top!
You’re right, that can’t be real. Ugh, I do not want to talk about it.
Look closer. That’s a phone or golf stuff. That’s not what you’re thinking. HA!
It’s hilarious.
Front page story on Variety today was how, after Runner, Runner, JT is still not a movie star and should stop acting.
http://variety.com/2013/film/opinion/justin-timberlake-should-stop-acting-1200702227/
Ouch! That has to hurt, on the front page of Variety!
They are many people I would put on the list of WHY Hollywood keeps hiring them when they can’t act.
I was thinking about going to see this movie, but after reading all of these posts, I not going to see it. Thank you everyone!!!
I went this weekend, made my new boyfriend come with me also.Hope he doesn’t run away from me.
Anyway outside the cinema we meet a friend and had a coffe and she asked about it and after a pause my boyfriend told her:”Well it was smth about JT. Ask her (me) as it was all i saw.” I just realised that i had seen only his face all the time doing….absolutely nothing.No substance, no real logic, no real action. A smart ass from Princeton played like that and earning soo much money while being stupid…doing a non explained job there…
I thought they wanted to follow the line of that film with Robert DeNiro with casinos. That was a master piece and you could tell what they were actually doing and why the money were passing hands. But here…didn’t catch why he was paying money to all those peoples in the ruins…. Well at least my new boyfriend had a good time sleep
If I’m not mistaken their wives are friends. I don’t understand why Ben would do this movie. It could be that he wants to be the guy doing a film with another younger actor to I guess say he is a mentor. I’m lost on this one. And I agree so much with some of the comments up thread about them not promoting the film. I recall them saying how much they liked each other and all, but I don’t recall a single interview. Maybe they thought they were too “big” to need to promote a film.
It didn’t look interesting to me. And I had to laugh at that ONE tag line from the film that they kept playing over and over.
Wow what a surprise. As if Ben Asslick can play a bad ass or super hero with his douche bag ass. He is the reigning king of them all. He needs to STOP. And so does George Clooney.
Who would want to go see two of the biggest HW douche bags in a movie?
Hopefully both of their careers are over ASAP!
Get ready Garner doing multiple arranged photo ops every day with their kids to drum up PR for the movie. She is relentless exploiting her kids when it comes to Ben’s and her career ambitions, LOL.
‘Runner Runner’ production budget was $30 million, and ‘Runner Runner’ earned $31 million on its opening weekend. This means that ‘Runner Runner’ is a success. Congratulations to Ben Affleck, Justin Timberland and Anthony Mackie, as well as the other cast members! Production budget and opening weekend figures were verified at boxofficemojo.com
Hilarious AND sad. Affleck’s a better director than actor. Timberlake can’t act. At all. Why do celebs try to branch out beyond their competency? Stick with what you’re good at, make a ton of money at it, and be satisfied already!
It’s F-CKING hillarious because for the first time ever i can say : Ben Affleck was DAMN good.I definetly saw some Batman in him…but the movie bombed!
He is like the white version of Kanye West. Overhyped and boring.
Oh. And he sounds like a 13 year old girl when he talks