The latest installment of the beloved Indiana Jones franchise is a lost artifact that probably should have stayed buried. The film received mixed reviews upon its release this past June with many critics of the film giving it a low score once the review embargo was lifted. Granted, the score has since shifted but only slightly. The film is still rated lower than the previous film Kingdom of the Crystal Skull from 2008.
Now nearly two months after its release, the film will be leaving theaters for a home media release, becoming available digitally by the end of this month, with a physical release likely in September.
But the big question is, was this movie worth the effort, the production troubles and the frequent delays that kept it from being released?
The film is considered to be one of the most expensive films ever made, with a $300 Million budget before marketing. But as of this writing, it has only made around $375 Million. If you were to factor in marketing costs and theatrical cuts, you would lose over $100 Million, making it the first bomb for the franchise.
Disney really needed this film to be a hit with the large amount of recent box office disappointments and the downturn in Disney+ subscribers. But the mixed reaction from audiences, on top of the inflated budget, has left the legendary archeologist empty-handed.
The days of using the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse have gone. Earlier hits in the year such as The Super Mario Bros. Movie from Illumination, show that movies still have the ability to cross the $1 Billion mark. Even recent films such as Barbie and Oppenheimer are massive box office successes.
With the public becoming increasingly aware of the behind-the-scenes politics going on within Disney and its subsidiaries, people decide not to want to support certain films/productions. With the continued disappointments and outright flops, Disney can’t seem to rely on the names alone anymore to sell tickets. They will need to rely on producing films audiences actually want to see.
Source: Variety
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