‘Blade Runner 2049’ Box Office Failure Might Cost Producers $80 Million
This just in from the This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things Department:Blade Runner 2049, the existential sci-fi tone poem sequel fromDenis Villeneuve, was such a box office disappointment that it faces an $80 million loss for its producers. Chalk this up to a case of history repeating itself, as the originalBlade Runnerwasn’t a huge hit upon its initial release either, only to eventually earn a cult classic status.
Did you go seeBlade Runner 2049? Probably not, since the film struggled at the box office like a dying replicant desperately clinging on to life. Despite a wealth of positive reviews (includingone from yours truly),Blade Runner 2049could not find an audience, and it was lost, like tears in the rain. While box office is never an indication of a film’s quality – after all, theTransformersmovies make money, and they’reterrible– it’s disappointing to see a truly unique film fail so miserably.
Just how much of a failure wasBlade Runner 2049?THRreports the film’s production company Alcon and its investors are looking at close to $80 million in losses. That’s not chump change. Per the THR story,Blade Runner 2049cost about $155 million to make before marketing expenses and went on to garner “only” $240.6 million globally. While I personally would be fine making $240.6 million (seriously, feel free to send me that money, someone), it’s far below what producers were hoping for.
WhileBlade Runner 2049had star power inRyan GoslingandHarrison Ford, and was helmed by the Oscar nominated Denis Villeneuve, it’s failure isn’t acompletesurprise. The film is not your average sci-fi blockbuster, but rather a moody, slow-burning drama with an imposing 164-minute run time. Also, while the originalBlade Runnerhas become an influential and highly regarded cult classic, its initial release would hardly be called a blockbuster, earning about earning $6.1 million its opening weekend.
I still hold firm to my belief thatBlade Runner 2049is an excellent film – one of 2017’s best, in fact. But I also freely admit it’s not a film for everyone. I think that just as the originalBlade Runnerpicked up acclaim as the years pressed on, so too willBlade Runner 2049.A year or two from now, I have a feeling people will look back atBlade Runner 2049and herald it as a unsung masterpiece; a film that deserved much more attention that it received upon its initial release.
Or I’m wrong, and everyone will forget about it. We’ll see!
