Posted on 10/21/2019 7:06:36 AM PDT by C19fan
Ang Lee's action thriller — starring Will Smith — was sidelined by bad reviews and the staying power of 'Joker.' Not even an Oscar-winning director and one of the world's most popular actors could save Gemini Man from getting bumped off at the box office.
Ang Lee's VFX-heavy film, starring Will Smith, faces losses of $75 million or more after opening to $20.5 million domestically over the Oct. 11-13 frame and finishing Sunday with an anemic worldwide total of $118.7 million, according to sources and box office analysts. Hopes were high that Gemini Man would make up ground and open to strong numbers in China. Instead, it launched to just $21 million over the weekend, coming in behind Maleficent: Mistress of Evil ($22.4 million) in a surprise upset.
(Excerpt) Read more at hollywoodreporter.com ...
Yep, Looper with more action scenes, and without Bruce Willis. Not that I’m negative on Will Smith, but I think his days of making a grand 5-star movie are mostly over.
They will make it up in DVD and PPV sales.................
I think a certain percentage of the public has finally worked out that Will Smith’s schtick is as repetitive and limited as Adam Sandler’s.
Smith bobs his head violently while spitting out dialogue (of a sort). In this film the numbing effect is merely doubled.
and Blockbuster VHS rentals...
I don’t get it, as to how the Joker movie affects attending other movies. I know Joker is a big hit movie. But aren’t there people who will go see both Joker and Gemini Man?
Or is there huge imoortance placed on the opening weekend, as opposed to the total theatrical run of a movie? Is that what they are concerned about?
Entertainment for 15 year old boys fails when/if the boys grow up or when they get bored with it. Then the numbskulls find some other action/thriller cluster boink put together with a mindless sameness that is SO tedious that even KIDS get bored with it.
There are those who suggest that the days of big stars guaranteeing big box office are over. Also, Will Smith’s star may have begun to dim.
I only saw I think one ad for this... Have seen far more about it flopping than I saw about this coming out... looked reasonable from the ad... so I wonder about the marketing.
Will Smith is not anyone’s favorite actor. Made a couple of crappy movies and that’s it.
I’m not an expert but like any industry they like to be able to predict the future based on past results.
An opening is important as an indicator of ‘legs’ ie longevity in ticket sales as well as the likelihood of word-of-mouth praise (or lack thereof). They’re also trying to divine what overseas figures will look like.
Cinema operators are still independent from studios for the most part and if a film is stiffing they aren’t going to waste an empty auditorium on it. And so a flop, especially a big-name or big-budget one, tends to implode even more quickly due to cinemas cutting their losses.
Some films get a chance to break even through DVD sales and streaming rentals.
Disney’s Maleficent bombed as well.
Most movies take in a big amount of their gross on the opening weekend, often 50% or more. This is particularly true for movies that don't get good word of mouth.
If a movie opens soft, it's out of the theaters quickly, so a big opening weekend is important. It's also the reason studios go for movies with a rabid fan base (repeat viewings by the same people.) The studios are using Star Wars, Marvel, etc., to try to rebuild the old "Ma and Pa Kettle" or Hope and Crosby "On the road" type things, where they make movies more like an extended TV series.
Smith's star has faded, also, and a lot of that had to do with him pushing his no talent son as a major Hollywood star.
He’s “safe”, and that is his problem.
You dont cast Will Smith to play a role, you cast a roll to play Will Smith.
Nice guy...just boring and predictable. Better suited for G-rated films 90s kids can take their children to.
Exactly. And that's what this movie was. If you like Will Smith, you went to see this movie. If you don't care for Will Smith, or you're Meh about Smith, you skipped this movie.
I'm not a big fan of Smith who plays himself as the safe, hip, cool black guy who is just a little bit gangster.
At least he’s still better off than DJ Jazzy Jeff.
Smith is now old(for an action hero)...
but he doesn’t seem to realize it.
It’s really weird how marketing and even the name of a film can affect popularity. I was fascinated back in the day to find out that Point Break (One of my all time favorite movies) bombed because of the name.
As someone that doesn’t see ads (no tv) and doesn’t go to theaters any more, I find some occasional gems that bombed at the box office, but are really great movies. Another one that I discovered on Amazon Prime about a year ago is John Carter. This is another one that apparently was hurt by its name. And it was VERY expensive to make, and it shows. It is an amazing film, and yet...
What’s happened to Will Smith
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