Good Fortune

Explore how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing box office forecasts, providing insight into trends that shape the film industry landscape. Discover the latest in AI technology and its profound impact on movie success metrics through data-driven analysis and social media buzz reports.

MOVIES

10/13/20253 min read

Good Fortune (2025)

Human-Led Insight Meets AI-Supported Forecasting

Box office forecasting has always been part data, part intuition — and Good Fortune (2025) sits at the perfect intersection of both.
Directed and written by Aziz Ansari, the film blends humor, hope, and human connection in a way that invites both laughter and reflection. Using structured AI analysis, we can understand how social buzz, tracking data, and genre trends are shaping this film’s theatrical outlook — while still celebrating the creative instincts that make cinema special.

🎬 Film Overview

Title: Good Fortune (2025)

Director / Writer: Aziz Ansari

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Aziz Ansari, Seth Rogen, Keke Palmer, Sandra Oh

Genre / Tone: Supernatural Comedy / Life-after-death fantasy

Distributor: Lionsgate

Release Date (U.S.)October 17, 2025

Runtime: 112 minutes

Budget (est.)≈ $40 million

Rotten Tomatoes (early)83 % Critics / 89 % Audience (preview screenings)

Tracking / Pre-SalesMediaPredict: implied line ≈ $18 M opening

Opening Weekend Forecast (North America)

Scenario Range Notes

Low $12 M – $15 M - Limited buzz / soft marketing

Mid$16 M – $20 M - Matches tracking + ensemble appeal

High$22 M – $30 M+ - If reviews + word-of-mouth pop like Everything Everywhere All at Once

➡ AI Midpoint Forecast: ≈ $18 M — in line with current tracking data.

Total Domestic Gross Projection

ScenarioEstimateLogic

Low $35 M – $55 M - Front-loaded interest, lighter legs

Mid $60 M – $90 M -Typical 3× multiplier for feel-good comedies

High $100 M – $125 M +Crossover breakout à la Book Club or Crazy Rich Asians

Canadian & International Estimate

Canada: ≈ 8 – 12 % of domestic → $5 M – $10 M
International: Strong appeal in English-speaking + Asian markets; $80 M – $120 M global (mid-case).

Weekend-2 Drop & Long Legs

Expect a 45 – 55 % drop typical of comedies.
With strong word-of-mouth and festival acclaim, the drop could hold closer to 35 – 45 %, especially if awards-season chatter boosts the Reeves / Ansari chemistry.

Comparable Films (Genre / Tone / Star Power)

Film Opening/ Weekend Domestic / Total RT (Critic / Audience)/Why Comparable

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)$0.5 M (limited) → $6 M wide/$77M / 94 / 89 - Multiverse comedy-drama with strong legs

Long Shot (2019)$9.7 M/$30 M/81 / 74/Smart adult comedy with star duo

The Intern (2015)$17 M$76 M/ 61 / 73/ Feel-good PG-13 ensemble

This Is the End (2013)$20.7 M$101 M/ 83 / 72/ Rogen ensemble with genre twist

These comps reinforce a mid-case projection around $18 M opening / $80 M domestic total.

Strengths & Risks

Strengths

  • Charismatic ensemble (Reeves + Ansari + Rogen)

  • Positive reviews and festival reception

  • “Second-chance at life” theme connects across age groups

  • Smart counter-programming in October

  • Emotional core balanced by humor

Risks

  • Mid-budget comedies remain fragile post-pandemic

  • Competition from The Black Phone 2 and Truth & Treason

  • 110 + minute runtime may limit showtimes

  • Marketing must clarify tone (spiritual vs comic)

AI Projection Summary

RangeOpening WeekendTotal Domestic

Low$12 – $15 M/$35 – $55 M

Mid$16 – $20 M/$60 – $90 M

High$22 – $30 M+/$100 – $125 M+

Social Media & Buzz Report — Good Fortune (2025)

Platform / AssetViews / ReachEngagementComments / Buzz Highlights

YouTube – Official Trailer (Lionsgate)/Featured on Lionsgate & Rotten Tomatoes pages/Likes not public/Fans discuss premise, ensemble, tone

Reddit / r/movies & r/boxoffice/Multiple trailer threads/Hundreds of upvotes/“Can Reeves bring audiences back to comedy?”

Press / Media Coverage/People, Reuters, Variety/Shared widely/Themes of money, meaning, & morality

Festival Premiere (TIFF 2025)Viral clip of Ansari’s emotional speech/Thousands of shares/Human connection + authentic storytelling praised

Critics / Reviews/Flickering Myth, The Playlist, The Guardian/N/A/Praised for cast chemistry; pacing mixed

Sentiment Overview

Overall sentiment: positive.
Audiences appreciate the sincerity and humor blend, while media outlets highlight Reeves’s angelic role and Ansari’s heartfelt direction.
Conversation centers on themes of purpose, gratitude, and what truly makes a life successful — an emotional throughline that aligns with its title.

Takeaway

Good Fortune positions itself as a rare PG-13 supernatural comedy with heart.
If Lionsgate maintains buzz and leans on Reeves’s global appeal, a mid-case $18 M opening / $80 M domestic run is realistic — with upside if audiences connect to its life-after-death humor and optimism.

Final Word

AI doesn’t replace the magic of forecasting — it helps us see patterns faster so humans can make smarter, creative decisions.
The future of this industry is human-led, AI-supported.

Technology is the tool. People are the storytellers.

Actual: $6.1M

  • Fell well below the AI low-end forecast.

🧠 Why the Forecast Missed

  • Overestimated conversion: Although social engagement appeared healthy on paper, much of it was driven by celebrity buzz rather than intent-driven presales.

  • Genre headwinds: Adult-targeted comedies in October have struggled to break out theatrically without major critical or cultural momentum.

  • Competition & corridor: The Halloween horror corridor favored genre films like The Black Phone 2, leaving comedies under-prioritized by audiences.

  • Lack of urgency: No “must-see now” factor. Positive but mild reviews didn’t fuel weekend demand.

🪄 Takeaway:
For comedies, social engagement ≠ ticket sales. AI forecast weighting needs to:

  • Place less emphasis on trailer chatter alone.

  • Factor in conversion-to-presale ratios.

  • Adjust corridor expectations downward when competing against strong genre anchors (e.g., horror in October).