The Greatest Showman #1142 - Box Office Loss

2012 marked another significant year for Renly.

The Almeida Theatre's production of Les Miserables was sweeping the globe, receiving rave reviews from industry insiders and quickly becoming a frontrunner for the next year's Tony and Olivier Awards. This was the next chapter in Renly's illustrious career, signaling his growing influence in both theatre and film.

Meanwhile, Edge of Tomorrow achieved both critical acclaim and box office success, reinforcing Renly's market appeal and cementing his status alongside top stars like Robert Downey Jr. in terms of earning potential. The myth of Renly's invincibility continued, with commercial blockbusters like Fast & Furious 5 and Edge of Tomorrow drawing overwhelming praise, which only added to the aura surrounding him. After winning an Oscar earlier that year, the actor's momentum appeared unstoppable.

That is, until the official release of Transcendence.

Despite a mix of reviews from the media—11 positive, 8 negative, and 1 neutral—Transcendence garnered a disappointing score of 55 points from critics.

At the Berlin Film Festival, Detachment had sparked a frenzy, with praise and harsh criticism clashing. The final score from the festival's official magazine was a dismal 2.3/4, marking it as a failure in the eyes of critics. When Transcendence arrived in North America, the negative reviews continued, confirming that the film was in trouble.

Among the critical comments, three outlets gave extremely low scores of 25 points, fiercely attacking the film. Common criticisms included:

"A work full of malice toward the audience.""It makes no sense at all.""It's a waste of time, money, and life."

These comments were particularly harsh, and many reviewers ignored Renly's performance, focusing only on the film's flaws. This was a new experience for Renly, whose previous works had largely been praised, and such negative treatment was uncharted territory in his career.

Director Tony Kaye, however, wasn't surprised. He had previously faced much worse criticism for Blackwater Shipping Company—a project that had been hindered by government interference. Kaye felt that intense reactions were an inevitable part of creating something truly provocative. He also emphasized that the worst insult a filmmaker could receive was indifference; he preferred strong reactions—whether positive or negative—because they meant the film was having an impact.

For Renly, the disregard for his performance was the most troubling part of the reviews. He had never before experienced such a complete dismissal.

However, there were also positive reviews. The New Yorker, for example, lauded Transcendence as a daring and bold piece of cinema, echoing their high praise from the Berlin Film Festival. The magazine celebrated Renly's performance, calling it "full of power and depth," and compared his acting to the most profound forms of contemporary filmmaking.

Other positive reviews highlighted the film's "wonderful expressiveness," "deafening themes," and "amazing chemistry between the actors." Critics praised Renly's performance as one of the best of the year, noting that time would reveal the true value of the film.

In stark contrast, the negative reviews were unforgiving, yet both ends of the spectrum—the intense praise and harsh criticism—brought Transcendence much-needed attention. The film's 55-point score reflected the polarized nature of its reception, which was both a blessing and a curse.

The critical consensus was that Transcendence was an auteur-driven film, not designed for mass appeal. Tony Kaye's approach to filmmaking was experimental, and the film's unfriendliness to the general audience was a hallmark of its artistic ambition. Much like the works of legendary directors such as Ingmar Bergman and Michelangelo Antonioni, Transcendence was not meant for the average viewer, but rather for those with a deep appreciation for cinema as an art form.

Box office numbers, however, told a different story. Despite its critical buzz, the film failed to ignite major commercial success. In its first week of December, the film expanded to more cities, but the number of theaters screening it remained modest, and its box office numbers remained underwhelming.

Despite the media frenzy and the attention generated by the film's controversies, Transcendence's box office did not skyrocket. In fact, while the per-theater gross reached a notable $34,000, it couldn't compare to the combined total from the 21 theaters screening the film.

After five weeks, the film remained a niche offering, with box office numbers slowly rising, but not at the rate needed for a major breakthrough.

The day had arrived for Renly's Waterloo.

After a string of six consecutive successes in both box office and critical reception, Transcendence was Renly's first major failure. Both the film's reception and its box office performance set new lows in his career. The question now was whether this was a one-off misstep or the beginning of a new phase in his career. Could this setback turn into a turning point, or would Renly continue to dominate both the box office and critical acclaim in the years to come?

For now, Transcendence was a bitter reminder that even the most invincible careers have their vulnerabilities.