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Felix Quinonez: It's definitely nothing to celebrate about. But I have to wonder how much they were realistically expecting. This seems like such a niche product that it's hard to believe that anyone thought this would break out. Granted it's an amazing story but I don't think it's one that the average movie goer is familiar with. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought the trailers were really boring. All in all I don't think its domestic gross will even match it's relatively modest budget.

Kim Hollis: This has to be a disappointment to the studio. I think they invested some significant marketing money into trying to get the point across that this is a film that deserves to be seen on the big screen – preferably a big one with 3D. People simply didn’t respond at all, and I do have to wonder about repeating the platform strategy so quickly after Everest was a good idea. I don’t think all hope is lost – the movie is getting terrific reviews, so there’s an outside chance it rallies upon wider release. But this early start bodes very poorly.

David Mumpower: I’m going to take the contrarian point of view on this one. Everyone here is middling to glum about the performance. I see it as found money and a new spin on a tried and true marketing tactic. Literally any money that Sony makes during the first week of The Walk is a bonus. It’s supposed to open this week.

Rather than try to push it in the wake of the glowing reception of The Martian, the distributor followed the Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol playbook by emphasizing its visual splendor. Mr. Gruchow is correct that this isn’t an IMAX feature, so marketing as such is a bit misleading, but it still provides a breathtaking experience due to the hook of the story. A man uses a thin wire to navigate the distance between two skyscrapers. That’s visually gripping. It creates intrigue, and that’s the singular goal of a release strategy we all know too well.

The purpose of a Wednesday release is to build positive word of mouth for opening weekend. The Walk is 87 percent fresh at Rotten Tomatoes; it’s a good movie that people will recommend to others. So, the IMAX-exclusive release works well on two levels. No, it hasn’t earned a whopping amount of money, but it’s done what was needed by enticing enough consumers the first week to attain some buzz. If that doesn’t carry over until the weekend, it’s not the end of the world for Sony. They respected the quality of the movie enough to try something rare. They’re to be commended for that.

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