Life & Style | ‘Ford v Ferrari’ speeds to No. 1; ‘Charlie’s Angels’ fizzles

Ford v Ferrari  left its competition in the rearview mirror, racing to an estimated $31 million debut at the box office in a No. 1 finish that counted as a win for big-budget originality.

James Mangold’s racing drama rode into the weekend with strong reviews and Oscar buzz for its leads, Christian Bale and Matt Damon. And audiences enthusiastically greeted it, giving the $98 million movie an A+ CinemaScore. “Ford v Ferrari,” which dramatizes the Ford Motor Co.’s push to unseat perennial power Ferrari at France’s 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1966, has been considered a rare kind of high-priced throwback built more on story, practical effects and star power than intellectual property.

Elizabeth Banks’ “Charlie’s Angels” reboot couldn’t keep up. The Sony Pictures release opened below expectations with $8.6 million domestically and $19.3 million overseas, according to studio estimates yesterday. Though the movie was relatively modestly budgeted at $48 million, it fell well short of the $40.1 million debut of the 2000’s “Charlie’s Angels,” with Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu. (The 2003 sequel opened similarly with $37.6 million.)

Banks’ version of the 1976-1981 TV series gave the material a feminist spin. But Kristen Stewart was the sole widely known Angel, starring alongside Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska. And “Charlie’s Angels” couldn’t best the World War II movie “Midway” in its second week. It slotted in just ahead of “Angels” in second, with $8.8 million.

Lately, at least, Hollywood’s efforts to dust off old intellectual property have been received with a shrug by moviegoers. November has already seen disappointing debuts for the Paramount Pictures sequel “Terminator: Dark Fate” ($56.9 million in three weeks) and Warner Bros.’ “The Shining” riff, “Doctor Sleep” ($25 million in two weeks).

Baltimore museum to acquire only works by women in 2020

The Baltimore Museum of Art will add only artwork created by women to its permanent collection in 2020.

Museum director Christopher Bedford announced the policy last week, saying something radical must be done to rectify centuries of imbalance. The Maryland museum acquired its first work by a female artist in 1916, two years after it was founded and three years before women gained the right to vote in the U.S. Today, only 4% of the 95,000 pieces in its permanent collection were created by women.

News outlets report each of the museum’s exhibits will be strongly tied to women. Nineteen will showcase art solely by women, including at least one transgender artist. Bedford says the museum is working to “correct our own canon” and address historical blind spots.