Critics weren’t kind to the Stephen King adaptation from the get go, so The Dark Tower’s abysmal opening should come as no surprise. The fantasy/sci-fi flick earned only $19.5 million in its opening weekend, barely beating out Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, which was in its third week.
Moviegoers were hardly motivated to see the Idris Elba film after Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie a weak 18 percent rating. The folks at Metacritic were slightly kinder with a score of 35. The consensus among unrelenting critics was unanimous: you can’t capture the brilliance of this Stephen King book series on film. Sara Michelle Fetters from Movie Freak believes the movie was so terrible, it only belonged in one place.
“ The Dark Tower a forgettable misfire that does injustice to King’s source material and sadly belongs in the bargain bin collecting dust.”
Other than reviews, the movie’s budget also hints at why the film was not a success. $60 million was all it took to create The Dark Tower , a number shockingly low to recreate a story of such grand scale. Box Office Mojo predicts the film won’t even cover its budget domestically, guessing it will max out between $50 and $55 million.
Despite having such a sad opening, The Dark Tower did win the weekend. Only $1.9 million separated it from Dunkirk which continues to rake in the big bucks as the weeks roll on. The Emoji Movie landed at number three for the weekend with $12.3 million, and Girls Trip earned an honest $11.4 in its third week for the number four spot. Newcomer Kidnap also had a depressing opener with $10.2 million. The Halle Berry thriller is receiving mixed reviews from fans and critics and currently has a 40 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes .
A poor showing hasn’t stopped a Dark Tower series from heading to the small screen, however. The Hollywood Reporter states that the film and series will be connected in a “cross-platform cinematic and TV universe.” The Walking Dead showrunner Glen Mazzara will also take the helm for the future TV series. Writer Akiva Goldsman will executive produce the show but is certain to have his hands full. Before the film hit theaters, Goldsman made a statement which hints at the series potential future.
“There’s a mixing of genre, there’s sci-fi and frontier and magic. If the first movie lands, everything gets easier.”
It appears as things will only get harder.
Did you see The Dark Tower yet? Let us know what you thought in the comment section below.
[Featured Image by Sony Pictures]
