Nearly three decades after starring together in the acclaimed 1999 movie The Talented Mr. Ripley, it looks like Academy Award winners Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow‘s newest movie has already premiered this weekend without attracting much attention from the general public. Before this, the acclaimed stars were also seen together in Steven Soderbergh’s 2011 pandemic movie Contagion.
Damon and Paltrow’s third movie is the newly released comedy, titled Influenced, which hails from Brainstorm Media and Menemsha Films. The movie is led by Momzillas author and Odd Mom Out star Jill Kargman, who plays a famous influencer on a mission to gain a million followers. In the film, Damon and Paltrow appeared as themselves, alongside Drew Barrymore and Jason Biggs.
“Renowned influencer Dzanielle navigates fake friends among the Black card-swiping, Ozempic-sharting, workout-addicted Upper East Siders. In her comedic quest for a million followers, she finds her first real new friend and her true self,” reads the logline.
Why did nobody notice Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow’s Influenced movie?
Since Damon, Paltrow, Barrymore, Biggs, and other celebrity cameo appearances in the film weren’t highly advertised before, their involvement was overlooked by the audience. Because of this, the film only made around $13.1k when the movie debuted this weekend at NYC’s Quad Cinema. Another reason the movie went unnoticed by moviegoers was its extremely limited release.
According to Deadline, Influenced will continue to roll out in theaters next week in LA and Phoenix, followed by its release in Boston and Chicago on May 29. The movie is also expected to be released in more cities, including Philadelphia, DC, and Toronto. While it’s unlikely to become a theatrical hit, it might still find success on streaming platforms or go viral on social media due to its celebrity cameos.
Influenced was directed by Rachel Israel, with Kargman, Carol Ray Hartsell, and Sean Crespo writing the screenplay. The ensemble cast also includes Laura Bell Bundy, Justin Bartha, Eugene Cordero, Clara Wong, Nathan Lee Graham, Ellie Biron, Judd Goodstein, Christine Taylor, Jenny Mollen, Mindy Cohn, Jessica Capshaw, David Krumholtz, and Dan Hedaya. It was produced by Mandy Ward, Steve Ast, S.J. Allocco-St. Germain, and Arielle Haller-Silverstone.
