Win Some Lose Some

Moviemaking has always been a crapshoot. There's no guarantee that a great film with a star director and A-list cast will ensure a 'bonkers' box office.

A star-studded cast doesn't guarantee box office

Take the recent case of the film 'Amsterdam". The Disney/New Regency production opened over the October 7th weekend on 3,000 U.S. screens and grossed only $6.4 million. At a cost of $80 million to produce and another $70 million to promote the film worldwide, the studios stand to lose at least $100 million or more when all is said and done.

'Amsterdam' was dubbed "a movie for older adults", unfortunately this group was a no-show and those that did gave it a poor rating (only a 33% Rotten Tomatoes).

The director, David Russell, is one of the best Hollywood has to offer, and the cast was first-rate: Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, Robert DeNiro, Chris Rock, Rami Malek, even Taylor Swift couldn't bolster a draw. 

This all goes back to my last post on CMG regarding what the moviegoing public wants to view at cinemas - action, fantasy, and escapism. 

Disney had no comment on the film's lackluster performance. I may go view it but then again, I may wait until its streamed.