Tom Cruise, the acclaimed star known for his role in “Top Gun: Maverick,” is facing a new challenge in the film industry. His latest film, “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One,” experienced a significant drop in box office sales in its second weekend, while movies like “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” soared to new heights. This unexpected turn of events has left Hollywood executives wondering if Cruise’s film can recover and have a successful long run.
“Dead Reckoning Part One” suffered a franchise-worst 64 percent decline, earning only $19.5 million in its second weekend. This was a stark contrast to the overwhelming success of “Barbie,” which made $155 million, and “Oppenheimer,” which earned $80.5 million during the same weekend. These movies propelled the domestic box office to historic levels, with the weekend revenue becoming the fourth-largest of all time.
While the poor performance of “Dead Reckoning” came as a surprise to many, industry insiders are not ready to write it off just yet. The film has received better critical acclaim on Rotten Tomatoes compared to its competitors and has also achieved strong audience scores. This has led some executives to believe that the story of its success or failure is not yet written.
Although the “Mission: Impossible” franchise has never been known for its massive opening weekends, the high expectations for “Dead Reckoning” were justified by the huge success of Cruise’s previous film, “Top Gun: Maverick.” However, “Dead Reckoning” fell short of its projected opening, earning $78.5 million instead of the anticipated $90 million.
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One saving grace for “Dead Reckoning” is its performance in the foreign box office. Like previous installments in the franchise, the film is earning a significant portion of its gross from international markets. It raked in an additional $55 million from 72 markets in its second weekend, bringing its foreign total to $252.1 million and its global total to $370.9 million. The film is particularly performing well in Asia, where “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” are not strong contenders.
The competition faced by “Dead Reckoning” in the market is also a factor contributing to its underperformance. The film lost Imax and premium large-format screens to “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” for three weeks and faced unexpected competition from the politically charged faith-based thriller “Sound of Freedom.” Despite these challenges, the film is still in contention for a successful run, especially considering its strong performance in international markets.
The production of “Dead Reckoning Part Two” has been put on hold due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. The film was scheduled for release on June 28, 2024, but now faces another moment of reckoning for the franchise.
Looking back, Cruise had expressed his support for the theatrical experience and encouraged audiences to watch films like “Dial of Destiny,” “Oppenheimer,” and “Barbie” in a heartfelt plea on Instagram. However, the unexpected success of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” and the emergence of “Sound of Freedom” provided a different outcome for the box office.
In conclusion, the future of “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” remains uncertain after its disappointing second weekend at the box office. However, industry insiders believe that its strong critical reception and audience scores provide a glimmer of hope for its success in the long run. With the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike and the fierce competition in the market, the story of “Dead Reckoning” is far from over.
