‘Entourage’ Movie: Despite So-So Reviews, The Bros Can Claim ‘Victory’ At The Box Office

In the world of Entourage, Ari Gold knows the only thing that matters is the opening box office.

“If you come up even one cent short of projections, you’re a failure,” he articulated in one of his now famous rants during the hit HBO series’ run. So it’s only fitting that that credo extends to the Entourage movie, which, despite critics slamming before it opened this past week, seems to be exceeding expectations at the box office.

Food World News is reporting that even though the Melissa McCarthy driven movie Spy knocked Entourage out of first place with a $30 million dollar opening, the Entourage movie may actually exceed expectations when all is said and done.

“The film is now expected to reach a five day gross in the low to mid $20M’s once receipts are tallied on Sunday. Optimistic projections even have the film nearing the $30M mark,” which is all the movie would need to be deemed a success.

Based on the life of Mark Wahlberg, Entourage ran for eight seasons on HBO and wrapped up in 2011. Starring Adrian Grenier as Vincent Chase, the series (and film) follows his misadventures climbing the ropes of stardom alongside his childhood friends from Queens including Kevin Connolly as “E,” Jerry Ferrara as “Turtle” and Kevin Dillon as Vince’s half brother “Johnny Drama.” The film also includes regulars Emmanuelle Chriqui as E’s love interest “Sloan” and “Ari Gold,” played by Jeremy Piven as Vince’s foul-mouthed agent.

Critics have not been very kind to the movie thus far. A.O. Scott of the New York Times for example gave a scathing indictment of everyone who would go to see the Entourage movie – including himself!

“By the time it reached the end of its HBO run in 2011, Entourage had grown staler than last night’s Axe body spray. The passing of a few more years has not improved the aroma. Watching the movie is like finding an ancient issue of a second-tier lad mag — not even Maxim, but Loaded or Nuts — in a friend’s guest bathroom. You wonder how it got there. You wonder how you got there.”

Richard Roeper meanwhile, equated the film with “catching up with an old friend and remembering why you don’t hang out with him anymore.” And Peter Keough of the Boston Globe called into question the entire premise behind the film and it’s relevancy in today’s society.

“It resurrects a macho churlishness and puerile wish fulfillment that is less charming now than it was back when the show went off the air in 2011.”

Still, not everyone called for creator Doug Ellin’s head in resurrecting the franchise. And with an impressive opening weekend it looks like the bros have spoken: Entourage is here to stay. Victory!

[Entourage photo credit: Ethan Miller / Getty Images]