Friday, December 6, 2024

Box Office Bust: $175 Mil “King Arthur” Friday Night Take Points to $15Mil Weekend

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“King Arthur” arrived and died in one fell swoop. The $175 million Warner Bros. swashbuckler from Guy Ritchie took in $5.3 million from Thursday night previews and Friday night audiences. A $15 million weekend ($18 million on the high side seems a lofty ambition) points to a total write off. Maybe international audiences will help. But not by much.

Ritchie is an ambitious filmmaker whose work is hit or miss. His “Sherlock Holmes” movie are hits. The rest are not, at least since his initial hits years ago with “Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels,” and “Snatch.” His more recent “Man from UNCLE” was a flop financially and editorially. I’ve been seeing weird remarks on Twitter that there should be an “UNCLE” sequel. No no no. Please, no. 

Ritchie’s biggest flop was with ex wife Madonna on “Swept Away.” A new “Sherlock” Movie should set things right. Meanwhile Warner Bros. writes off $150-$175 million. They have four blockbusters coming this year.

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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