Title: Harvey Weinstein’s Big Hollywood Flops: A Closer Look
Key takeaways:
– Despite its previous success, The Weinstein Company had its share of box office disasters.
– The film ‘The Hateful Eight,’ despite its star-studded cast, grossed only $54 million against a $44 million budget.
– ‘My Week with Marilyn’ and ‘Big Eyes,’ though critically acclaimed, were commercial disappointments.
– The Bradley Cooper-starrer ‘Burnt’ was negatively received by critics and floundered at the box office.
– ‘Sing Street’ was well-received and had a Golden Globe nomination, yet bombed at the box office.
Harvey Weinstein, once a powerful figure in Hollywood, saw both massive box office hits and catastrophic flops under Miramax and The Weinstein Company.
Golden Days of Miramax
Miramax, home to Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Pulp Fiction’ among other pivotal films, was an unstoppable force in the 90s. Films such as ‘Good Will Hunting,’ ‘Bridget Jones’ Diary,’ and ‘Shakespeare in Love’ garnered Weinstein a reputation for producing Oscar-winning films.
The Transition to The Weinstein Company
Weinstein left Miramax in 2005, establishing The Weinstein Company. Even with its continued success and reputation as a powerhouse in filmmaking, the company faced some box office disasters.
The Hateful Eight: A Shocking Underperformance
One such flop was Quentin Tarantino’s ‘The Hateful Eight,’ a western produced under The Weinstein Company.
Tarantino and Weinstein shared a longstanding professional relationship, with the former’s films including Django Unchained being distributed by the latter’s company. In contrast, ‘The Hateful Eight,’ starring an ensemble cast including Samuel L. Jackson and Kurt Russell, fell flat at the box office, earning a meager $54 million against its $44 million budget.
Biopic Disappointments: My Week With Marilyn and Big Eyes
‘My Week with Marilyn,’ a 2011 biopic starring Michelle Williams and ‘Big Eyes,’ a 2014 film featuring Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz, were both critically received well. However, both films underperformed considerably at the box office, failing to recuperate their production costs.
‘My Week with Marilyn,’ despite Oscar nominations for Williams and Kenneth Branagh, scraped a mere $14.6 million against a $10 million budget. Meanwhile, ‘Big Eyes’ only earned $14.5 million domestically, as opposed to the $10 million invested in production.
Undercooked Drama: The Downfall of Burnt
‘Burnt,’ a 2015 film featuring Bradley Cooper as a redemption-seeking chef, held promise due to Cooper’s star power and recent Oscar nominations. Regrettably, the film was met with negative reviews and sank critically and commercially, netting only $13.7 million at the box office from a $20 million budget.
A Musical Misstep: The Unexpected Failure of Sing Street
Venturing further into The Weinstein Company’s trough, we discover the 2016 musical drama ‘Sing Street.’ With positive reviews and a Golden Globe nomination to its name, the film’s dismal box office performance was a surprise. It managed to accumulate only $3.2 million against a $4 million budget.
In conclusion, the trajectory of Harvey Weinstein’s career in Hollywood was a classic tale of highs and lows. Despite managing a company that produced some of the most influential films over the decades, Weinstein’s venture also bore witness to some of the industry’s notable failures. As evidenced by the mentioned films, even the presence of established actors does not necessarily guarantee box office success.
