“Winter’s Tale” is the First Gigantic Box Office Flop of 2014 with $7.7 Mil Weekend
That didn’t take long. “Winter’s Tale,” directed (and written and produced) by Akiva Goldsman, is the first big studio flop of 2014.
On Friday night, the Colin Farrell starrer took in a measly $3.6 million in 2,965 theaters. With about a $9 million total Shock: Just a $7.7 million three day weekend makes the movie based on Mark Helprin’s 1983 novel a financial throwaway.
Thanks to numbers inadvertently supplied by the MPAA in a press release we know that “Winter’s Tale” spent at least $70 million just shooting in New York City. Its total budget would come to around $150 million. And I may be underestimating that figure.
With almost all negative reviews, “Winter’s Tale” will barely make it to $50 million. Thus it will join all the big studio failures from last year, and be a trendsetter for this one. Goldsman, a talented screenwriter (“A Beautiful Mind”), will probably not direct another film of this magnitude again for a long time.
How “Winter’s Tale” got so out of control might be an interesting story. But basically, it’s an artless endeavor. It’s also a case of “more is more.” For some reason, Goldsman thought jamming in everything but the kitchen sink, as well as a “surprise” cameo by Will Smith, would sell the movie. I still have little idea what was going on, and I read the book.
For Warner Bros., it’s just a write off. It’s not like they don’t have hits. “The Lego Movie” is number 1 and just raking in movie. Plus, everyone loves it. You can’t have everything.
“Winter’s Tale” will finish at number 7 or so for the weekend. It’s going to wind up doing half has well as the miserable “Endless Love.” And that’s saying something.
To quote Russell Crowe’s character in the movie, “Shit happens.”
[…] distribution are two stories of much-less success, the first being of the romance/suspense film “Winter’s Tale.” The movie premiered this Friday and audience and critic response has been almost universally […]
How sad, the critics have destroyed the movie before it hit the screen…HERE IS A NEW MOVIE REVIEW written as a letter to the Director Akiva Goldsman
DEAR DIRECTOR,
May this note find you grounded in a deep inner knowing that I am one of many who have enjoyed seeing your movie “Winter’s Tale” ;and I am filled with gratitude for you and all those who help to create, advertise and distributed THIS “TALE FOR ALL AGES” OFFERING US HOPE AND DREAM TO CONECT WITH THOSE WE LOVE AND WHO LOVED US (AND LIFE),WHEATHER IN FORM OR IN FORMLESS DIMENTION .Y…OUR BOOK ADAPTATION OFFERS TO EVERYBODY A MULTIDIMENTIONAL, DREAMY, YET ALSO REAL AND VERY VISUAL INVITATION TO MERGE WITH COSMOS KNOWN AND UNKNOWN. IT INVITES US TO GET READY TO FLY ON THE WINGS OF OUR IMMAGINATION… AND INTO ETERNITY!
Here is in more details that which has impressed me in seeing your movie.
Every scene, every line, every sigh, every sound of the script, including the magic silence as well as the angelic, wise and sublime Beverly’s voice sharing spiritual insights had almost hypnotizing effect on me to connect with my own highest dimension united with the greater Universal spiritual energy.
Yes, I find your creation much more then impossibly BEAUTIFUL , deeply ROMANTIC and uniquely ORIGINAL…it opens “a gate” to the boundless sky and planetary space for everyone who’s ready to enter and fly freely on the wings made of LOVE & LIGHT , fueled by the Karmic & Pranic essence of life as well as “after life” without fear and sorrow of separation!
I can’t wait for DVD, filled with desire to see every “take”, every dialog, monolog etc. over and over, to taste slowly while absorbing fully it’s mystical dimension, enjoying the subtlety of each character.I truly enjoyed the sophisticated play of light & shadows, light & darkness, light & heaviness, and last but not least light as the essence of enlightenment.
Unlike many viewers, I have not read the book, so your movie is the first “arrow” to reach into my heart and to introduce me to Beverly and Peter romance, which I perceive as so much more then a “love story”. For example I truly appreciate the emphasis on his PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION from practically calculating survivor seeing through his “professional thief’s eyes” ( accustomed to search for the value of the objects, without engaging in human relationships…) now filled love, wonder, passion, tears, genuine confusion and sorrow.
How masterfully you have painted for us Beverly’s exemplary brave attitude of her ACCEPTANCE AND SURRENDER to destiny, making clear that her future does not prevent her from enjoying the present moment , innocently flirt ( which makes her “dearly endearing”) , and also a symbol of the highest, most subtle dimension of TRUE SPIRITUALITY WIHTOUT ANY LIMITATION. A spirituality, which maybe perceived at once, by only A few; yet which your movie makes available so generously to all, without exception, as the most simple, yet the most precious gift.
As for the SUPERB ACTING of Russell Crowe and his gang , I can’t picture another currently living actor fulfill this uneasy role radiating spiritual as well as moral dis-ease, vindictive, possessive, determine and mall intentioned, cruel “despota” with more intensity, focus and beaming with “spoken as well as unspoken dangerous power”! I am probably not alone in finding him more scary and terrifying than handsome Lucifer (I hope that was also your intention…) His role reminds me of the worst human “character defects”, attachments, bad habits and addictions, as metaphorically described in famous Yogic text B.Gita.
Let’s humbly admit that each of us has a “seed of Pearly”, some small some big, manifesting as a spiritual ignorance, anger, arrogance, pride ,excessive desire or greed etc. When based on our choices (or bad company)our “poison’s seeds” germinate; and multiply ( such as Pearly’s gang formed by men who’s are making up for the lack of true intellect, personality (and probably even for the lack of true courage) by at least dressing like their leader, wearing proudly the same suit and the same hat; acting like crowd of “mindless parrots” (unaware of their own journey & life’s purpose) only knowing how to follow in somebody else steps…It is no surprise, that if anyone of them dares to exhibit even a “glimpse of humanity” or a their own/different opinion, it ends up eliminated…without mercy!
What a better world there will be if each of us would take time to identify the initial signs of “Pearly” at it’s origin; before collecting “too many life-scars” (which make one soulless, bitter and sometimes even more evil than Devil himself!) and become willing to change the course of action, before it becomes “our second nature”…
On a more positive note, Beverly’s innocence, grace, courage, class, intuition, immortal spirit , natural sensuousness, delightful playfulness and angelic luminosity provides not just a contrast to dark & dangerous world of Pearly, but she makes all of us (not just Peter…), to fall in love with her .
Such as the SACRED AND PURIFYING ELEMENT OF WATER is ready to transform it’s shape (from liquid sensuous wet drops caressing her body inside a bath, into healing snow flakes which together with subtle mantra-like breathing and recitation of the stars/planets suggested by Peter heal her fever , into ice breaking in the right place and right moment to save Peter by destroying Pearly’s “back up crew”…) you make it very clear that one ray of DIVINE LIGHT CHARGED BY LOVE (and the “sprinkle of luck”) can bring salvation and become the “winning force” of The Universe! “City of Justice” plaque saving Peter’s life is another symbol of how karma works; and that patience, intelligence and “fight for the right cause” is often necessary to obtain the justice!
A part from a “heart-touching” unforgetable story and the esthetic pleasure for all the senses, what an incredible service, opportunity and spiritual message your movie present for all of us to keep in our mind and hearts when we are faced with loss, grief, life change etc. and what a hope and inspiration this story for those who have been stricken by terminal illness (probably dealing with the fear of death…)
Dear Mr. Goldsmen, I much hope that you, yourself will always be “spiritually grounded” ,surrounded by true friends and by people with sensitive, artistic, loving heart who’s ears will remain deaf to some of the harsh (and in my view incredibly ignorant!!! Or perhaps even corrupted?) movie reviewers, who I feel would benefit greatly from opening their mind and heart to more positive, sophisticated , artistic and spiritual perception…
May those few “Brutes in power”, simply remind you that the original ideas, great art (in every form and genius men through history of humanity, have often been misunderstood ,mistreated, unappreciated (…and at time even punished!) YOU ARE SURELY A GREAT GIFT TO ALL OF US, ONE OF THE “LUSTROUS ELITE” OF HUMANITY -THANK YOU FROM MY HEART FOR YOUR COURAGE & CREATIVITY!!
[…] movie times. At the advice of a STRANGER (not always a good idea) we chose another movie. We saw Winters Tale. I guess it was a FLOP according to reviews but–guess what–We REALLY liked it. It was a […]