‘Mickey 17’ is the new dystopian science fiction film that leads the box office. The problem is not enough

There are times in which to crown the box office with a number 1 means nothing: ‘Mickey 17’, the new Bong Joon Ho movie, director of ‘Parasites‘ and ‘Snowpiercer‘, has been number 1 on American lists. Even so, the high cost of this ecologist dystopia of satirical dyes make it a questionable investment for Warner and, above all, the finding that in Hollywood they still do not curdle the ambitious projects that are not sequelae or reboots.

The figures. ‘Mickey 17’ He has pocketed Only in the United States 19.1 million dollars, which are added 25.4 in 66 international territories. Not bad for a real -extravagant movie and that has dethroned films such as Marvel’s last captain America (also with good collection, but with a trajectory that has had to turn on Some other red light in Disney). However, its cost of 118 million, to which to add about 80 in marketing and distribution, leaves the approximately 300 million that it should raise so that Warner does not consider it a failure.

A quick comparison. If the question is whether these amounts are expected, we can compare them with those of your immediate rival at the box office: ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ collected 88 million at the box office In its first weekend, and although it started from a budget much higher than the one to aim (200 million), to exceed 50 million in the United States would have been closer to a satisfactory figure for Warner.

Doubtful direction. To this initial collection, which The first analyzes estimate as insufficient Before the challenge of reaching the 300 million commented, it is added that the film has not aroused a unanimous opinion between criticism and public: Its mere 78%-72% In ‘Rotten Tomatoes’ it is not especially high (especially considering that its director has signed films that have previously dazzled to public and critical). Among the obstacles of the film to improve its collection in successive weeks is the extravagant argument (Pattinson gives life to a worker who in the future is cloned again and again every time he dies in the course of the dangerous mission of helping to colonize an icy world), and also his tone of farce, acid and very little commercial, which is detected in all the films of the Korean director, but that is ever unleashed here.

Warner: decisive year. Without successes guaranteed as new sequelae of its star franchises (‘Dune‘ and ‘Godzilla‘) In perspective, Warner has a year full of very expensive productions but are not a guaranteed success. For example, ‘Alto Knights’, Robert De Niro’s return to a certain “prestigious” cinema; ‘Sinners’, one blaxoploitation vampire of the director of ‘Black Panther’; ‘A Minecraft movie’, whose first advances have a chilling appearance; and the start of James Gunn DC Universewhich looks very good, but that does not have the best precedents.

Only sequelae. The prick of ‘Mickey 17’ is one more symptom of the latest trends of a Hollywood that seems to have turned its back on the original high -budget products: by sujuesto that there is always space for a ‘Anoraor any other bombing indie. But The 2024 figures made it clear: sequels and REBOOTS They mark the step at the box office: no Top 10 movie was completely original. The success of ‘Barbie’ (which is not that it was an absolutely isolated product of a franchise) and ‘Oppenheimer’ the previous year It was little more than a mirage.

Without franchise there is no return. There is an extra detail that should underline so that it does not go unnoticed: the budget of 120 million dollars is high, but it is triggered to levels that rival the Marvel herself if we add the very high expenses in marketing. This means that on many occasions, the films bet in a lost depth, knowing that only with a box office can not be recovered, but trusting that it is achieved with derived products: books, video games, attractions in parks, spin-offs … and above all, that money serves as something already invested as part of the future marketing of sequelae. A fish that bite the tail and is condemning the original blockbusters such as ‘Mickey 17’.

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