Box Office: ‘King Arthur’ Bombing as It Limps Toward $18 Million Debut

http://variety.com/2017/film/news/king-arthur-flop-box-office-bomb-1202425480/ ^ | March 12, 2017 | Brent Lang

[C19fan]

Every summer has them. Big studio movies launched with massive budgets that saddle into multiplexes looking to kick off new film franchise only to be greeted by the forces of audience indifference. Well, it looks like summer 2017 has its first official flop. Warner Bros.’ “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword,” Guy Ritchie’s attempt to make the Knights of the Round Table hip again, is collapsing at the box office. Based on its Thursday pre-shows and Friday afternoon mid-day grosses, the $175 million epic is looking at a disastrous $18 million debut. Those projections come from rival studios. Insiders at Warner Bros. think the film could still exceed $20 million, but even if it does, that’s still a very weak start for such an expensive picture. Barring a mid-weekend surge in enthusiasm for tales of gallantry, there will be red ink.

[C19fan]

As a Generation Xer there is only one, not counting Monty Python, Arthurian movie; Excalibur. As I stated before this Guy Ritchie movie happens to have a dude named Arthur and a sword named Excalibur and that is the extent this movie is base on the myth.

[IronJack]

saddle into multiplexes

You mean "sidle" into multiplexes? I didn't know "saddle" could be used as a verb.

[Berlin_Freeper]

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword - Official Trailer [HD]

[mindburglar]

I thought the commercials were for that stupid Viking show. Total fail.

[dfwgator]

Well it couldn’t be as bad as the one that had Kevin Costner as Robin Hood, the one with that frickin’ Bryan Adams song.

[Cowboy Bob]

Who is the Black dude - Sir Galahad?

[Telepathic Intruder]

Where hides evil in my kingdom, then?
Always... where you never expect it. Always.
I know where.
Where, Sir Gawain?
I cannot say.

[SMGFan]

$175 million helped some people keep food on the table. Victimless “crime”. /s

Who takes the biggest loss on such a disaster?

[mindburglar]

Yeah and that one with Sean Connery and Richard Gere. They had pretty blue uniforms.

I just watched the trailer. Of course they have a black guy in 10th century England as a wise advisor.

[wally_bert]

Camelot is on TCM now.

[Buttons12]

Camelot, based on the musical? I liked that. Except for the extreme closeups. Too much of Guenevere’s runny nostrils.

The music was wonderful.

[Joe 6-pack]

I saw it last night. I paid $17.00 for me and my gf. I was not horribly disappointed. If you are ok with what Guy Ritchie did with Sherlock Holmes you'll be ok with what he does with Arthur.
If you're looking for something more consistent with the traditional Arthurian canon, stick with Excalibur. If you're the type that nitpicks the historicity of clothing, weapons, architecture, etc., you won't enjoy this film. If you hated 300 because there's no such thing as crab-clawed executioners, you'll hate this film. If you enjoyed 300 for the warrior ethos and action you might enjoy this film.
I have no idea what Guy Ritchie's politics are; I assume they tilt well towards the left merely because of his prior association with that Madonna tramp...but I do think it interesting that as England slides into the dumpster, he has reached back into Britain's history to celebrate quintessentially British heroes, first with Holmes and now with Arthur. If he makes Boadicea movie, I'll probably catch it too.
A few things I particularly liked about the film were the notion of a basket of deplorables rising up against an illicitly usurped throne, led by one who has risen from amongst them. Arthur's assumption of the mantle of leadership was a reluctant struggle, trying to resist his destiny until he came to recognize that people were fighting and dying in his name. As with a lot of Ritchie's films the CGI is at times, over the top, but it tends to support the plot line rather than detract from it. Finally, some of the landscape cinematography of the English/Scottish countryside is as breathtakingly beautiful as Braveheart.
It may not be a great movie, but it's not as horrible as it's being made out to be.

[KavMan]

I saw the trailer & was like WTF?

1st I thought it was a serious film but then it had all this slapstick comedy & I said, this is going to BOMB!

[vladimir998]

And you could tell it was going to bomb. We all could tell it was going to bomb. Why is it that Hollywood can NEVER tell?

[atc23]

The black dude? That’s Sir Gimmedat

[reg45]

Of course “saddle” can be used as a verb. You can “saddle” a horse.

[wally_bert]

I remember the music the best.

The first time I saw it was in jr. high school lit class.

[reg45]

The black dude: Sir Killacop!

[IronJack]

Okay. I didn’t know “saddle” could be used as an INTRANSITIVE verb.

How’s that?

[BushCountry]

Rotten has it around an 80% rating for movie goers (not the critics), so it doesn’t seem to be that bad of a movie. Still, for me, I will watch it when I can stream. Not interested enough to be dragged to the theaters.