Edge of Tomorrow received a plethora of positive reviews following its release, but that wasn’t enough to lure North America moviegoers to the box office this month. However, things are certainly looking a little brighter overseas.
Instead of watching Tom Cruise battle aliens for roughly two hours, people decided to spend money on Shailene Woodley and the big-screen adaptation of The Fault in Our Stars . Director Josh Boone’s tearjerker stomped all over Edge of Tomorrow on opening weekend, leading some to believe that Tom Cruise’s star power is a thing of the past.
Director Doug Liman’s Groundhog Day -esque sci-fi thriller was definitely a risky venture for the folks at Warner Bros. Not only was Edge of Tomorrow based on a novel casual movie’s probably haven’t read — the movie is based on the book All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka — it also stars an actor that has become less and less of a box office draw over the past few years. While the Mission: Impossible series continues to make money, endeavors such as Rock of Ages and Jack Reacher didn’t exactly set the cinematic world ablaze.
“People always talk about the lack of originality in Hollywood, but by and large people don’t show up for those original films. Audiences now are so conditioned — they almost expect there is going to be a brand they know and love and understand before they plunk down their money,” Rentrak senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian told the Los Angeles Times .
Although Edge of Tomorrow isn’t doing too well on the domestic front, the studio doesn’t appear outwardly concerned about the situation. Warner’s Greg Silverman explained that executives just wants to deliver the best motion pictures with Hollywood’s top players.
“I think all we can control is to make great movies with the best, most talented people. If we do that consistently we’ve always proven that you win in the end,” he said in response to Edge of Tomorrow ‘s box office performance.
While things certainly look grim for Edge of Tomorrow in the US — the film has only amassed $45 million as of this writing — things are certainly picking up in foreign markets. According to the numbers posted at Box Office Mojo , Tom Cruise’s flick has generated $111 million in foreign receipts . This brings its worldwide total to $156 million, suggesting that the film could at least break even before vanishing from theaters.
Of course, there’s also a chance that Edge of Tomorrow could find an audience on home video; Oblivion and Jack Reacher were popular on DVD and Blu-ray. However, the lack of interest in the flick could force studios to pour money into properties that casual moviegoers can easily recognize.
[Image via Warner Bros.]