There's always at least one every summer: a big budget blockbuster that fails spectacularly. Whether because it's just a bad movie or no one was too interested in seeing what it had to offer, the movie flops big time, failing to live up to the studio's expectation. It's not even June yet and we already have the first big bomb of the summer of 2017. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword opened this weekend and despite being one of this weeks only major releases, the film flopped hard. Current reports say that the film only made $14.7 million over the weekend.
According to Variety, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword opened at No. 3 at the box office this weekend, only earning the paltry $14.7 million domestically. The movie, which gives a new spin on the tale of King Arthur, was filmed on a production budget of $175 million...ouch. Released by Warner Bros, the film didn't get any favor from critics, currently sitting at a 27% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, it does have a B+ Cinemascore, so audiences have been a tad nicer to the flick.
Directed by Guy Ritchie, the film was similar in vein to his re-imagining of Sherlock Holmes, which spawned a sequel and grossed over $500 million worldwide. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword appears to be much closer to The Man from U.N.C.L.E., which also underperformed, with $110 globally, but that movie at least has attained something of a cult status. King Arthur could always pick up in home release, but right now things are looking pretty bleak.
Starring Charlie Hunnam, the story follows Arthur, a street rough who learns that he is the rightful king of Camelot and the only one who can pull a magical sword from a stone. Arthur must lead his allies against his Uncle Vortigen (Jude Law), who used dark magic to usurp the throne for himself. Filled with lots of flash, critics claimed it offered little else -- even if it does have giant war elephants and super swords.
On the other side of the spectrum, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues its streak, coming in No. 1 for the second week in a row. The sequel added $63 million to its $145 million opening. That's a 57% drop but it was both expected as most blockbusters experience big drops in their second week.
Coming in right in the middle is Snatched, the Amy Schumer-Goldie Hawn comedy that also opened this weekend. The R-rated mother-daughter comedy takes second place with $17.5 million. The film has received mixed reviews from critics, but audiences have been much more favorable to it.
If you feel like you'd like to give King Arthur: Legend of the Sword at least a little love, you can it out in theaters right now. To learn more about what's coming up this summer, check out our upcoming movie schedule.
