As if King Arthur: Legend of the Sword hasn't taken enough of a beating, it's the accountant's turn to take some choice blows against the Warner Bros picture opening this weekend. We don't think anyone takes any pleasure in the fact that the film looks to be on the track for a $25 million opening this weekend, especially since it took so much more production capital to make. As $175 million was spent on the film, minus whatever was spent in marketing costs, it looks like this might be the only time Charlie Hunnam gets to wield Excalibur.
Of course, industry analysts put Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 at the top of the heap this weekend, with an estimated $60 million landing in Marvel Studio's coffers. That puts King Arthur: Legend of the Sword in a steep second place, should it somehow withstand Snatched's Mother's Day targeted marketing push. This comes after Guy Ritchie's last film, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., opened with a $13 million first weekend in 2015, and brought in $109.8 million against a $75 million production budget. While it's technically still a profit, there's still a factor that just might keep Ritchie in the red: marketing.
Now the exact figures on King Arthur: Legend of the Sword's advertising budget aren't out, but considering how some films can spend pretty big amounts on selling themselves, the film is probably going to have to clear a pretty big hurdle in order to be considered a success. Critical opinion sure isn't going to help the film, as it currently sits at a 22% Rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Admittedly, there's probably more reviews to come, and our own Gregory Wakeman gave the film a four star rave himself, so there's a chance that the film's fortunes may fare better with the professional critic crowd.
It's unfortunate to see Guy Ritchie and Warner Bros' latest collaboration to already be written off as a massive blunder, but at the very least, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword might be one of those films that finds its home in the cult annals of history. Of course, there's always a chance that The Hollywood Reporter's estimates could be wrong, in either direction, but at this moment the war isn't over yet. We'll have a better idea where things stand after the first couple days of the film's theatrical run. But even if they turn out for the worst, it's no surprise that worse fates have brought better tidings.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is currently in theaters for early showings. If you're interested in supporting the film's chances of success, there's no time like the present to buy a ticket and take the ride.
