Despite generally strong reviews audiences are not stampeding to see "The Runaways."
The tale of the all-girl "Cherry Bomb" rock band opened Friday in limited release in 10 cities. And it kind of bombed, earning an inauspicious $3,300 average on 244 screens.
Was it: 1) The subject matter, a 1970s band with no major hits and a negligible following even back in the day? Was it: 2) The R rating that locked out younger audiences? 3) The high-concept poster that hides the faces of "Twilight" stars Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning? 4) The sight of the stars kissing and snorting coke? 5) The Twihards' disinterest in seeing the actors in non-vampire projects? (Robert Pattinson's romantic drama "Remember Me" had a similarly modest $3,600 per-screen opening.) 6) The tepid Star Tribune review? Maybe the truth is that while Bella and Edward are icons with a rabid fanbase, Kristen and Robert are not movie stars. Can the River Road/Apparition rock biography can build momentum as it expands? It opens nationally April 9.
