As a seasoned film buff who’s witnessed the ebb and flow of Hollywood’s fortunes for decades, it’s disheartening to see the struggles of some iconic directors like Robert Zemeckis with their latest offerings. The box office performance of “Here” is just another reminder that the industry is a cruel mistress, always hungry for the next big thing.
The headlines were bleak. Despite positive prospects of seeing a reunion of veterans Robert Zemeckis, Tom Hanks, and Robin Wright since their Academy Award-winning movie “Forrest Gump” three decades ago, the new film “Here” received poor reviews and a B- CinemaScore from audiences. It opened to a meager $4.8 million from 2,642 North American theaters over the Nov. 1-3 weekend.
Initially, all significant film studios declined the opportunity to produce “Here“, the generational-metaphysical drama that Miramax had offered. Instead, Miramax opted to sell foreign distribution rights and eventually struck a deal with Sony’s Tri-Star for distribution. Notably, this partnership has no financial investment in the $45 million movie titled “Here“.
There’s an overwhelming amount of competition among fall films intended for older audiences. However, this demographic doesn’t typically frequent theaters often. Instead, older generations have grown comfortable with watching new movies at home shortly after they premiere in theaters, due to shorter release windows and the growth of streaming services post-pandemic. Therefore, when these audiences do choose to attend screenings, they tend to carefully consider critics’ opinions. Interestingly, over 45% of the audience for both ‘Conclave’ and ‘Here’ were aged 55 and above, which is quite unusual.
Notably, the adult drama “Conclave,” produced by Edward Berger and Focus Features, is performing well across the country. It has received rave reviews and a B+ CinemaScore, making it a strong contender for awards. Over the weekend preceding “Here,” it outperformed other fall film festival entries that have swiftly declined at the box office, such as Jason Reitman’s “Saturday Night” for Sony and the anti-Donald Trump documentary “The Apprentice.” Even Francis Ford Coppola’s expensive flop “Megalopolis,” which has earned just $13 million globally against a budget of $120 million, couldn’t match the success of “Conclave.” In its second weekend, “Conclave” only dropped 20 percent to $5.3 million from 1,796 cinemas, outperforming “Here” during that period.
According to Comscore’s Paul Dergarabedian, there’s been a noticeable lack of success for director-driven movies lately, as films from well-known and respected directors have not resonated with audiences in this tough marketplace climate.
The analyst comments, “Movies such as ‘Megalopolis’ and ‘Here’, which are intended for mature audiences, have failed to generate enough interest to transform simple recognition into ticket sales. Consequently, the box office has been negatively impacted by this lack of appeal.
Over the weekend of November 1-3, Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2 was released alongside Here, but due to it being an awards qualifying run, there are no box office figures available. According to industry insiders, the film was shown in approximately 35 theaters. Some critics were given a chance to review it and the movie currently boasts a remarkable 91% positive rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. This has led box office analysts to speculate that Warner Bros. may reconsider their decision and offer the film a full theatrical release.
Based on various reports shared with The Hollywood Reporter, it appears that plan won’t involve a release during the specified timeframe. Instead, the film featuring Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, J.K. Simmons, and Paul Bettany is expected to premiere on Max around the holiday season (an exact date has yet to be disclosed by the streamer).
It’s said that the movie’s production cost is under $35 million, but if it gets a national theater launch, additional marketing expenses amounting to tens of millions could be added.
The debate between theatrical releases versus streaming is a contentious issue for Warner Bros. Discovery, following the implementation of “Project Popcorn” by the previous leadership of Jason Kilar. This initiative unexpectedly released all 2021 films simultaneously in movie theaters and on Max, causing outrage among talent and cinema operators.
Expanding the subscriber base is a major priority for David Zaslav, head of WBD, just as it is for his competition who operate streaming services. A Clint Eastwood film could serve as an appealing holiday gift, similar to Salem’s Lot. Moreover, providing the movie with an awards-qualifying run seems to please Eastwood (the productive Eastwood enjoys high regard at Warner Bros). However, it hasn’t been publicly confirmed whether Juror #2 will be the first of Eastwood’s films produced for Max, rather than a theatrical release.
Warner Bros is launching the film titled “Juror #2” in eight foreign countries that are fond of Clint Eastwood as a director, such as France. It has already made $5 million from six markets. Although Eastwood is well-respected in the U.S. for his directing skills, his recent films have performed better when he is also an actor. However, his latest film, “Cry Macho” from 2021, only managed to earn less than $17 million globally. Similarly, “Richard Jewell“, which he solely directed in 2019, was a significant letdown with a worldwide gross of $44 million. The same can be said for his 2018 film, “The 15:17 to Paris“. (He starred in the first one among these three films.)
Previously, I’d been on quite a roll with some impressive victories under my belt. For instance, I nailed performances in movies like “The Mule,” “American Sniper,” and “Gran Torino.” These roles were all mine, while “Sully” was shared with the talented Tom Hanks.
Steering clear of a theatrical debut allows Eastwood and Warners to bypass the negative publicity that Zemeckis and Hanks are currently experiencing due to Here, in case Juror #2 fails to meet expectations.
But not everyone is convinced that the verdict is final regarding Juror #2‘s fate.
As a passionate gamer, I’d say something like: “I’m really excited about the upcoming release of ‘Juror #2’, especially since it’s Clint Eastwood’s latest and possibly final film. In this quiet pre-election season, it could attract a larger audience and generate impressive box office numbers even beyond the Academy screenings. For those who appreciate thought-provoking adult dramas, this movie will be a great option to watch from home on Max. While the big screen is undeniably the best place to truly experience such films, it’s crucial for the film’s success that it makes both creative and financial sense.
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2024-11-05 05:25