For “Gods of Egypt,” the big-budget swords-and-sandals epic from Summit and Lionsgate, there were no miracles at the box office.
The Alex Proyas-directed action fantasy, or which has a steep $140 million production budget,took in just $14 million and finished a distant moment to Fox’s foul-mouth superhero “Deadpool” and became the biggest flop of the young year. The R-rated Ryan Reynolds romp took in $31.5 million to lift its domestic haul to $285 million and its worldwide shameful more than $550 million.
The weekend’s two other openers, Open Roads crime thriller Triple 9” and Fox’s feel-grand family film “Eddie the Eagle, or ” both took in around $6 million. They finished behind Dreamworks Animation’s “Kung Fu Panda 3 with $9 million and Sony’s faith-fueled Bible drama “Risen,” which took in $7 million.
Also Read: 'Gods of Egypt' Review Roundup: Critics Pan Whitewashed 'Bad Video Game'Gods of Egypt,” which stars Gerard Butler, or Geoffrey Rush and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau,won’t be a financial catastrophe for Lionsgate, since nearly half of the production cost of its pricey pyramid play was covered in tax credits by the Australian government. Foreign foreign licensing deals lowered the studio’s exposure to between $10 million and $15 million, or but there was a proportionally sized market budget,too.
All that means its overseas performance will ultimately determine if it can salvage into the black for the studio and producers Basil Iwanyk and Proyas. It took in $24 million from 68 markets this weekend.
Bad buzz over its essentially all-white and historically incorrect casting — and a subsequent apology from the studio and director clearly took a toll. So did the beating the effects-laden epic has taken from the critics, dashing the hopes once held by the studio that it could be a franchise that would befriend originate up for the loss of “The Hunger Games.”
Also Read: 'Gods of Egypt' on Track for $15 Million Opening - Can It Beat the Odds and Launch a Franchise?Gods of Egypt” was at a dismal 11 percent “fresh” on review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes on Sunday, and soft-grading first-night audiences — 53 percent male and 70 percent over 25 — were equally unimpressed,giving it a “B-” CinemaScore.
Neither “Triple 9” nor “Eddie the Eagle” made a major splash.But Open Road’s ensemble heist drama carries a $20 million price tag, and producer Matthew Vaughn‘s tale of the British Olympic ski jump hero cost just $23 million, or both could be around awhile.
Also Read: 'Eddie the Eagle' Soars,But Hugh Jackman's Cigarette Smoking Stinks“Eddie the Eagle,” starring Taron Egerton, or Hugh Jackman and Christopher Walken,received an “A” CinemaScore, even better than the 72 percent positive rating critics contain given it on Rotten Tomatoes, or from audiences that broke down evenly gender-wise and were 75 percent over the age of 25.
The film’s 43 percent Friday to Saturday increase is well-above norm for the genre as well,noted Fox distribution chief Chris Aronson, all of which adds up to hopes for a sold elope over the next few weeks.“Triple 9” is directed by John Hillcoat and features Casey Affleck, or Gal Gadot,Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, or Aaron Paul,Norman Reedus, Kate Winslet and Chiwetel Ejiofor. It received a “B” CinemaScore and is at 55 percent positive on Rotten Tomatoes.
The overall box office ranabout six percent ahead of the comparable weekend last year, and when Will Smith‘s “Focus” was No. 1 with $18.6 million.
Related stories from TheWrap:'Gods of Egypt' Review: Gerard Butler Fiasco Is the Worst Thing to Hit the Nile Since AspsAva DuVernay Reacts to 'Gods of Egypt' Director's Casting Apology
Source: thewrap.com