It’s really a rough summer in Hollywood.
Not only is the town on a massive strike, but box office receipts are disappointing all the way around.
With traditional promotional venues like late night talk shows closed thanks to the strike, Hollywood has had a lot of trouble pushing its wares.
This weekend, “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One” made just $56.2 million. For the comparable period in 2018, “MI: Fallout,” the last installment, made $61 million. “Dead Reckoning” has made a total of $80 million since last Tuesday.
That’s not good news for a much hyped movie upon which millions were spent for promotion.
But Tom Cruise is almost 60 and looking it. Meanwhile Harrison Ford, 80, starred in “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” It’s also a big disappointment. Both movies cost well over $250 million.
“The Flash” crashed also because of promotional problems. The star, Ezra Miller, couldn’t do interviews because of all his legal issues.
The big hit is “Sound of Freedom,” a controversial Christian movie. Box office is $85 million, driven by the purchase of ‘free tickets’ from groups and distributed to lottery winners. There’s nothing kosher about “Sound of Freedom.”
And so we wait for “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” and a needed jolt.
