Thursday, November 21, 2024

Warner Bros. Facing An Early Summer Box Office Disaster with “King Arthur” Misfire

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This week we don’t have Friday the 13th, but Friday the 12th will suffice. “King Arthur” is looming as a huge box office disaster for Warner Bros. The $150 million Guy Ritchie-directed adventure is getting scathing reviews. It’s only registering a 21/100 on Rotten Tomatoes.

“King Arthur” stars Charlie Hunnam and Jude Law, good actors caught in Ritchie’s net. Ritchie, despite his “Sherlock Holmes” movies, has some of the most spectacular failures ever on his resume including ex wife Madonna in a remake of “Swept Away.”

It doesn’t help that “King Arthur” apparently offers a celebrity cameo by former soccer star David Beckham. Screening audiences have been vocal about Beckham’s lack of acting talent.

“King Arthur” has been a problem for Warner’s for a long time. Shot in 2015, it was supposed to be released in Summer 2016. Then it started moving on the schedule like a chess piece that wanted to be removed from the board. It was finally set for this past March, but then moved again so as not to interfere with Warner’s “CHiPS” movie. “CHiPS” was a big flop.

Now “King Arthur” will face the second weekend of blockbuster “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.” Ritchie and co. will die by the sword, I’m afraid. Warner’s will hope this, too, shall pass as they wait for four big releases in 2017– “Wonder Woman,” “Justice League,” “Dunkirk,” and “Blade Runner 2049.”

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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