The Greatest Showman #1046 - Momentum Unabated

The summer blockbuster season can be brutal, and for a popcorn movie, bad reviews are not the worst nightmare. It's audience rejection and disgust that can truly derail a film. This is exactly what two new releases from the third week of June are grappling with.

Daddy's Good Son has a popcorn index of 51% and a theater score of "B-."

Rock of Ages has a popcorn index of 55% and a theater score of "B."

Though Rock of Ages holds a slight edge in terms of reputation—better reviews from critics and audiences alike—this advantage is minimal, and both films face a mounting struggle. The negative word of mouth, especially from the audience, has struck Tom Cruise and Adam Sandler hard. For these former box office superstars, this summer has turned into a nightmare they can't escape.

In fact, aside from The Avengers, nearly every other anticipated blockbuster has bombed, creating a ripple effect across the industry. This leaves the upcoming The Amazing Spider-Man and Batman: The Dark Knight Rises in a precarious position.

"The collective downturn of box office stars, with Tom Cruise and Adam Sandler suffering tragic defeats this week—add Johnny Depp and Will Smith to the list."

This headline from Entertainment Weekly in the third week of June sparked widespread discussion.

After a major scandal ("hype gate"), Entertainment Weekly underwent an internal shakeup and is now in recovery. Despite the skepticism over potential hype, this special report turned heads. It offered a fresh perspective, examining the broader implications of the summer box office slump.

The report discussed the downfall of Generation X, which has failed to carry the torch from the Baby Boomers. It also touched on Generation Y's silence, which has been far less impactful than expected. Despite several rising stars since 2007, they've never become mainstream, and the report noted how the Baby Boomer generation's declining box office power, including figures like Robert Downey Jr., has led to an overall slump this year.

What followed was a discussion of the transition occurring within the box office market. With the rise of social networks and fan culture, films rooted in series or franchises—like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Jurassic Park—are becoming the new norm. The success of the Harry Potter series, as well as Twilight and The Hunger Games, illustrates this shift.

The article concluded with a provocative thought: perhaps, after 25 years, the Harrison Ford-like success of series films will dominate once more. In an era when work is king, audiences flock to specific franchises, not individual stars.

The report succeeded not only in attracting attention but also in shifting the conversation from generational issues to the changing dynamics of the box office in the Internet age.

Industry insiders later confirmed that Entertainment Weekly spent a substantial sum to hire senior writers and analysts from The Hollywood Reporter to contribute to the article. This wasn't typical for Entertainment Weekly, known more for gossip than in-depth analysis. However, this marked a strategic pivot to rebuild its credibility—at a high cost, but with noticeable results.

The article's impact rippled across the entire film industry, with the six major studios keenly monitoring the box office slump.

But just how bad is the situation?

Rock of Ages earned $14 million over three weekends, while Daddy's Good Son pulled in $13 million over its opening weekend.

The truth was now clear. The buzz around the "Renly Hall vs. Tom Cruise" showdown disappeared after the disastrous opening of Rock of Ages, and there was no need to compare the two films. The gap in performance was so vast that comparing them became irrelevant. In fact, Rock of Ages had a worse debut than Snow White and the Huntsman.

For context, the $14 million opening for Rock of Ages pales in comparison to the box office figures of other summer releases like Edge of Tomorrow and Madagascar 3.

Despite all this, Edge of Tomorrow continued to shine as the summer's most compelling box office story, with its earnings slipping only 48% in its second week—an impressive feat for any blockbuster.

By comparison, other films like The Hunger Games dropped 61%, and The Avengers dropped 51%. In this context, Edge of Tomorrow's performance was particularly remarkable.

The film's $138 million opening weekend put it on a trajectory toward a domestic total of at least $300 million, with $400 million looking increasingly likely. This made Edge of Tomorrow one of the biggest surprises of the summer.

As for Edge of Tomorrow's final potential, could it reach $500 million in North America? While this would be a tall order, the fact that such a possibility was even discussed spoke volumes about the film's unexpected success.

By the second week, Edge of Tomorrow had earned $272 million, positioning it for a potential $400 million total by the end of its run.

Now, Madagascar 3 dropped 43% in its second week, taking in $34 million, while Prometheus suffered a massive 59% drop, earning just $20 million over the weekend.

The weekend box office was dominated by Edge of Tomorrow, with its solid performance eclipsing other major releases, including The Hunger Games. With $272 million in just two weeks, the film was rapidly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the summer box office.

By the end of its second week, the film's remarkable box office numbers had already made it one of the season's best performers. This trend seemed poised to continue, with $500 million in North America not completely out of reach.

All doubts surrounding the film had vanished, and its box office performance stood as a testament to its success—numbers that spoke louder than any critic's review.