Yesterday we brought you some comments from Alex Kurtzman, director of The Mummy, who responded to the critical backlash against the Dark Universe-launching reboot, where he towed standard the “we made it for the fans, not the critics” line.
Well, it seems that the fans haven’t responded to the movie as well as Universal would have hoped either, as Deadline is reporting that the film is heading towards a whopping $95 million loss for the studio.
According to the site, the total outlay on The Mummy – including production budget, marketing and distribution – was $345 million, while Universal’s expected revenue from theatrical, home entertainment and global TV deals is estimated at $250 million.
So far the film has grossed $375 million worldwide (but of course, that doesn’t account for exhibitor cut, which is as much as 75% in China), while the arrival of Transformers: The Last Knight this week is sure to limit its chances of pushing its total box office much higher.
The Mummy is intended as a launching point for a whole series of interconnected movies based around the classic Universal Monsters, so the studio will no doubt be hoping for better success with its second instalment, Bride of Frankenstein, which is being directed by Bill Condon (Beauty and the Beast).
SEE ALSO: Reports say Tom Cruise had too much control over The Mummy, and is to blame for its failings
SEE ALSO: Director John Landis says Universal’s Dark Universe isn’t “respectful of the monsters”
Thought safely entombed in a tomb deep beneath the unforgiving desert, an ancient princess (Sofia Boutella of Kingsman: The Secret Service and Star Trek Beyond) whose destiny was unjustly taken from her is awakened in our current day, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia and terrors that defy human comprehension. From the sweeping sands of the Middle East through hidden labyrinths under modern-day London, The Mummy brings a surprising intensity and balance of wonder and thrills in an imaginative new take that ushers in a new world of gods and monsters.
The Mummy sees Alex Kurtzman directing a cast that includes Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation), Annabelle Wallis (Annabelle), Jake Johnson (New Girl), Courtney B. Vance (American Crime Story: The People v O.J. Simpson), Sofia Boutella (Kingsman: The Secret Service) and Russell Crowe (The Nice Guys).
