As a film critic with over two decades of experience under my belt, I’ve seen more flops than a mattress store in the middle of nowhere. But even the most disastrous movies can find their footing, given time and the right platform. The story of “Gods of Egypt” is no exception.
Box offices can serve as a harsh reality check for many filmmakers and production companies. Sometimes, they fail to grasp what the audience truly desires, such as the remake of “The Crow,” or produce a movie that is universally acknowledged as poor quality, like “Borderlands.” While cinephiles typically don’t want to see a project fail, there might be an exception for the upcoming Skibidi Toilet film. A box office bomb is often a subject of intrigue and discussion, offering insights into big studios struggling to find their footing. Many infamous flops from the past continue to captivate conversations today; online critics frequently reference productions like “The Lone Ranger” or “The Marvels” as a way to critique another film even before its release in theaters.
The movie titled “Gods of Egypt” falls into the category of box office flops that were long forgotten, but it managed to resurface in the news at the end of 2024 when it finally reached profitability after almost a decade. Upon its release in 2016, it was the subject of many jokes due to its poor performance in the domestic market and negative reception from both audiences and critics. Even the presence of Gerard Butler, who had delighted viewers a decade prior with another myth-based action blockbuster called “300“, could not prevent “Gods of Egypt” from flopping. It’s surprising that, despite such a failure, the film eventually turned a profit. How did this happen?
Hardly Anyone Saw ‘Gods of Egypt,’ So What’s It About?
In the backdrop of ancient Egypt where divine beings walk among humans, the film “Gods of Egypt” revolves around a power tussle between the gods Set and his nephew Horus. This feud sets off a series of events that impact numerous inhabitants of Egypt, including a mortal thief named Bek, who is on a quest to revive his deceased lover through Ra’s powers. Other deities like Hathor and Thoth are also involved due to their personal stakes in determining Egypt’s ruler. The movie showcases extravagant special effects to amplify the action scenes and presents an attempt at modernizing Egyptian mythology, but it could be argued that these attempts are less than satisfactory.
Contrary to what the promotional content for the movie might lead you to believe, Gerard Butler is not the main character in the film, but rather portrays the antagonist. Instead, the story revolves around the thief, Bek (played by Brenton Thwaites), and the Egyptian god Set (portrayed by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). Additionally, Chadwick Boseman plays Thoth and Courtney Eaton from “Yellowjackets” appears as Bek’s missing love interest, Zaya.
In a rather unfortunate turn of events, Alex Proyas was the director of the movie “Gods of Egypt.” This film, however, turned out to be a blemish on his impressive filmography. Proyas is renowned for bringing to life two beloved cult classics, “The Crow” from 1994 and “Dark City” from 1998, as well as the under-appreciated “Knowing” from 2009 and the successful Will Smith film, “I, Robot” from 2004. It appears that “Gods of Egypt” may have marked the end of Proyas’ active career in filmmaking, as he hasn’t released a new feature since. In an attempt to revive his career, Proyas has turned to crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and Patreon to fund his upcoming sci-fi musical, “R.U.R.” Here’s hoping that this talented filmmaker will rise from the ashes of his career, much like a phoenix, and be given another opportunity to shine.
‘Gods of Egypt’ Was a Disaster at the Box Office
Gods of Egypt was a costly production at $140 million, but it only managed to earn $31 million in the U.S., making it one of the biggest domestic flops of the 2010s. Despite better performance overseas where it made $150 million globally, its distribution, marketing, and other costs turned out to be a significant loss for the film. Critics and audiences alike were unimpressed with Gods of Egypt, as evidenced by its low ratings on Rotten Tomatoes (14%) among critics and 37% on the audience Popcornmeter.
The action-packed film, “Gods of Egypt,” received harsh criticism from critics, as evident in reviews such as Olly Richards’ for Empire, where he noted that the movie seemed lavish but squandered its resources. He commented, “[Gods of Egypt] smells of wealth, with grandiose shots spanning digitally fabricated miles and costumes shimmering, yet it’s money wastefully spent. All the effects appear incomplete, gleaming with a glossy mid-’90s artificiality.” At the time of its release, other criticisms surfaced, including the whitewashing of Egyptian characters and gods, as well as an uninteresting and uninspired script. However, those who were more lenient acknowledged that director Alex Proyas’ talent was underutilized and misrepresented.
How Did ‘Gods of Egypt’ Break Even Eight Years Later?
In the first episode of The Kids In the Hall relaunch in 2022, the opening skit shows someone paying chump change for a VHS copy of the troupe’s failed film Brain Candy, only to cut to executives celebrating that the movie had finally broken even, prompting Amazon to bring back the Canadian comedians back to star in their new Amazon Original series. While this introductory skit was done in jest, it is not entirely far off from how the life cycle of a production can become profitable after an initial failure.
Often, people are quick to label a film as a failure if it doesn’t perform well at the box office. However, while making profits is always the aim of every production, there are numerous other paths to success. A perfect example that demonstrates how a flop can transform into triumph is John Carpenter’s movie, “The Thing.” Initially, it only managed to earn slightly over its production budget of $15 million, with global box office earnings of approximately $20 million. Considering additional costs such as distribution and marketing, it seemed to have incurred losses. However, the film’s rise to cult status, multiple re-releases in various formats, merchandising, video games, and more have made “The Thing” far more profitable today than on its initial release, making it a huge success by any standard.
Gods of Egypt isn’t like The Thing, and the manner in which movies generate profits has significantly evolved as physical media declines and streaming services take over. Despite its disappointing debut in 2016, the pursuit of profit remains undiminished. Streaming platforms don’t casually host films for wider audience viewing; instead, deals are struck, and certain films circulate across multiple platforms. Rights for television broadcasts yield additional income, and the foreign market serves as a continuous revenue source for projects that falter domestically.
It’s not shocking that the film Gods of Egypt has finally managed to break even after several years, but it’s still not an ideal situation for any filmmaker or production company. To put it mildly, this movie was a flop. However, you can contribute to helping it eventually make a profit by streaming it now. Here are some options: You can stream Gods of Egypt on Max via the link provided below, or you can watch it for free on Tubi and Pluto TV.
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2024-12-22 03:36