Have The Ghostbuster Haters Helped Snare A $50m Opening?

The trolling campaign waged against the newly-rebooted ‘Ghostbusters’ would seem to have rather backfired.

The film is now looking at a potential $50 million (£37 million) debut weekend in the US, according to the movie business analysts at Box Office Mojo.

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A vocal group opposed to remaking the 1984 classic have been voraciously slating the movie and its stars since its announcement.

Critics have been accused of being paid by Sony for positive reviews, while an undercurrent of disturbing misogyny has pervaded the online ranting, thanks to the reboot’s all-female cast.

Meanwhile, the boss of Sony Pictures has praised online haters for their tireless help marketing the newly rebooted 'Ghostbusters’ movie.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Sony Pictures boss Tom Rothman said: “It’s the greatest thing that ever happened.

“Are you kidding me? We’re in the national debate, thank you. Can we please get some more haters to say stupid things?”

If the movie does make $50 million on its opening weekend, that would make it the highest-grossing live-action comedy movie of the year so far.

The current winner is The Rock/Kevin Hart’s 'Central Intelligence’, which drew in $35.5 million (£26.4 million) in box office glory, but didn’t have a fraction of the online buzz (whether it be positive or negative).

In context, another movie depressingly criticised for having an overtly feminist message, 'Mad Max: Fury Road’, scored a $45 million (£33.5 million) opening.

The movie’s reviews won’t harm matters either.

While mixed, they do tend to err on the side of pretty positive, with a healthy score of 74% 'fresh’ on the reviews aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes.

The IMDB user score is considerably lower, at 4.1 out of 10, but it’s thought that with over 50% of votes scoring the movie with a one out of 10 (before it’s even been released in the US), it’s more than likely been the victim of trolling.

Its cumulative box office prospects could still be harmed by the recent news that it won’t be getting a release in China, but it looks likely to be one in the eye for the trolling community, so that must be some comfort.

The movie, starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones and Chris Hemsworth, is out now across the UK, and this weekend in the US.

Image credits: Sony