Sure, she can open a Hunger Games movie, but it’s based on a beloved book and is part of a massively successful series of movies. And yeah, Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle did well, but those were ensemble casts full of stars. So how do you shut up any remaining doubters who somehow want to argue that Jennifer Lawrence isn’t a superstar capable of opening any movie?
Just look at the weekend’s box office. Amid a ruthlessly crowded field of releases, and the second weekend of history-making hit Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the David O. Russell-directed Joy clocked a solid third-place finish with $17 million, just a bit behind the opening numbers for American Hustle. Given Joy’s mixed reviews and the tough competition from other awards hopefuls like The Hateful Eight, The Revenant, and Concussion, Joy’s success is an enormous testament to Lawrence’s starpower, and proof she’s one of the few stars left capable of opening a film on her appeal alone. Even Will Smith, once a guaranteed box office draw, can’t say that—Concussion opened in sixth place with $10.5 million, the lowest wide opening of Smith’s career.
With the Hunger Games franchise over, it’s a great time for Lawrence to be flexing her starpower muscles, proving that a risky idea—a biopic about the maker of the Miracle Mop, say, or next year’s outer space romance Passengers—can be a hit in her capable hands. It won’t be all big-idea dramas, though; also on the horizon is the project she’s writing with Amy Schumer, another star who currently seems capable of doing no wrong, plus one more film in the X-Men series, in which she seems to have an even more essential role. 2015 was a great year for Lawrence, but 2016 should have even more fascinating surprises in store. Sit back and watch one of our few remaining bona fide movie stars show you how it’s done.
