Director Casper Kelly’s Barney-inspired horror movie Buddy was a massive hit for Roadside Attractions and Saban Films over the weekend, managing to double its box office projections.
The indie horror movie debuted in the #6 spot on the domestic box office charts against some real heavy hitters, scaring up $5,363,827 across the weekend in just 1,258 theaters.
That gives Buddy the highest opening this year for any movie showing on under 1,800 screens, as well as the highest opening weekend since the pandemic for Roadside Attractions.
This is also the second highest opening in Roadside’s entire 23-year history, and Buddy now impressively holds the all-time highest opening in the 12-year history of Saban Films.
What’s the secret behind the film’s success? A strong hook and an equally strong marketing campaign that flooded social media with attention-grabbing content including an ARG campaign that played out across YouTube along with a retro-style Game Boy video game. But it’s the film’s nostalgic concept that no doubt put asses in the seats, with Buddy being presented as something of a horror twist on Barney the purple dinosaur. And the reviews certainly don’t hurt the cause.
Buddy is currently certified fresh at 87% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The press release notes, “Young Gen Z audiences are craving original content, escapism and a communal experience – a social environment away from home. Exit polls show that the film is drawing a young audience, 83 percent under 35. It also over-indexes with Hispanic audiences at 37 percent.”
“We loved Buddy the moment we saw the film at Sundance,” said Howard Cohen and Eric d’Arbeloff of Roadside Attractions, and Jonathan Saba and Shanan Becker of Saban Films, in a joint statement. “We were blown away by the wildly imaginative worlds director Casper Kelly created with practical effects, and audiences are clearly responding to its authenticity and its gonzo – WTF – horror-comedy-thriller combination.”
Buddy centers on the titular unicorn mascot — a beloved children’s TV host with a squeaky-clean persona that belies his true nature as a dark and violent force of nature.
Here’s the official synopsis: “Inside the colorful world of It’s Buddy!, a group of children spend their days singing, dancing, and helping Buddy spread happiness. But when one child refuses to play along, Buddy is not pleased and cracks begin to appear in this seemingly perfect world.”
Cristin Milioti stars as Grace, a suburban mother inadvertently drawn into Buddy’s nightmare world, with Delaney Quinn as Freddy, a brave girl who begins to fight back against Buddy when he shows his true self. Keegan-Michael Key voices Buddy. The horror movie’s cast also includes Topher Grace, Michael Shannon, and Patton Oswalt.
Casper Kelly co-wrote the movie with Jamie King (“Jessica Jones”).
Meagan Navarro wrote in her review, “Casper Kelly drops viewers straight into the world of a kids’ show with a high-concept horror comedy that dials up the absurdities of kids’ television programming to a lethal degree. Those on board with an experimental structure and Kelly’s darkly playful sense of humor will find this raucous midnighter highly entertaining.”
