Ben Hur' is Epic, Big-Budget Bust
August 21 2016 - 5:17PM
Dow Jones News
By Erich Schwartzel
"Ben-Hur" didn't have a prayer at the box office.
Hollywood's latest big-budget attempt to fill multiplexes with
faith-based moviegoers and general audiences floundered this
weekend, collecting an estimated $11.5 million in fifth place in
the U.S. and Canada.
With a production cost of about $100 million, "Ben-Hur" was the
last big-budget release of the summer movie season. The movie was a
co-production of Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures and
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, with MGM picking up about 80% of the
budget.
The most famous cinematic incarnation of "Ben-Hur" -- released
in 1959, starred Charlton Heston and won a record 11 Academy Awards
-- is considered one of Hollywood's greatest epics. When box-office
grosses are adjusted for inflation, the film collected $848.7
million, making it the 14th highest-grossing movie of all time,
according to Box Office Mojo.
The latest retelling of Judah Ben-Hur's redemption at the
chariot track tried to attract faith-based moviegoers despite
Hollywood's spotty record with winning them over. The movie was
co-produced by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, who have enormous
cachet with religious audiences skeptical of Hollywood treatments
of Biblical stories.
Paramount's "Noah," starring Russell Crowe as the ark-builder,
collected a disappointing $101 million in 2014. Some religious
reviewers urged believers to avoid the film, saying it manipulated
Biblical text in irresponsible ways. "Exodus: God and Kings"
disappointed at the box office later that same year.
"Ben-Hur" had something those movies didn't: praise from
religious audiences who said it got its religion right without
sacrificing big-screen spectacle. But the movie's paltry showing
this weekend could discourage Hollywood from greenlighting future
big-budget takes on Biblical-era material. Studios have generated
greater profits when they target faith-based crowds with modestly
budgeted dramas such as "Miracles from Heaven" and "Heaven Is for
Real."
Paramount Vice Chairman Rob Moore said harsh critical reviews
likely weighed on the "Ben-Hur" box office, especially in a summer
that has seen audiences underwhelmed by new takes on familiar
material such as "Independence Day: Resurgence" and
"Ghostbusters."
"This has been very tough on sequels and remakes," said Mr.
Moore. "The challenge on all of us is to make sure the movies are
fresh and that they are top quality, even if it is a sequel or
remake."
Paramount has had a terrible summer at the box office with other
movies such as "Star Trek Beyond," " Florence Foster Jenkins" and
"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Out of the Shadows" also falling
short. The studio's parent company, Viacom, has been embroiled in
boardroom drama for months that led to the departure of Chief
Executive Philippe Dauman .
Two other new releases, "War Dogs" and "Kubo and the Two
Strings," also couldn't knock "Suicide Squad" off its third week in
first place. "Suicide Squad" collected $20.7 million this weekend
and now has grossed $262.3 million.
"War Dogs," starring Jonah Hill and Miles Teller as two friends
who stumble into international arms dealing, collected a tepid
$14.3 million. Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros. released the
movie.
"Kubo and the Two Strings," an animated feature about a boy
seeking his destiny in mystical Japan, grossed $12.6 million. The
movie was released by the Focus Features division of Comcast
Corp.'s Universal Pictures.
Of all the new releases, audiences liked "Kubo" the best. It
received an "A" grade, according to the CinemaScore market research
firm. "Ben-Hur" received an "A-" and "War Dogs" got a "B."
Year-to-date box office is up 5.2%, according to comScore.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
August 21, 2016 17:02 ET (21:02 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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