What’s Tom Cruise's Most Recent Box Office Success?
Tom Cruise is considered a box-office draw. He has appeared in many hit Movies and has developed an impressive level of star power - which often translates into high box office revenue. But those familiar with his filmography know that the actor’s success has not always been consistent and even those projects - especially a project like “The Mummy,” may have a lackluster response despite earning a profit.
Those familiar with the actor's box office success will quickly recognize that his popularity has a major connection to several key Movies. Including: “Top Gun: Maverick" - the movie has brought him the greatest amount of fame and was an incredibly successful box office production. This film’s release was considered the saving grace for film, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. His work with the Mission: Impossible franchise has been an equally valuable asset.
Why Was The Mummy So Critically Reviled?
It appears that audiences weren’t prepared for the latest release of “The Mummy,” - particularly its 2017 iteration - a reboot from a 1999 original movie. Even though it performed fairly well in box office sales - many moviegoers, as well as critics, failed to respond to its dark tone.
Although those who are fans of the classic Mummy franchise that starred Brendan Fraser might enjoy a reimagining of the story, several critics (often those who cite Rotten Tomatoes scores, a well-known movie review aggregator site) found it hard to enjoy - and they weren’t satisfied. In essence, the film failed to appeal to those who are fans of Universal Monster Movies as the studio continued to seek a greater interest - as this was a key goal for the production as they set the stage to release Dark Universe movies - this is a project that has failed to live up to expectations.
How Did The Mummy Perform in Box Office Sales?
The Mummy (that was released in 2017 and had Tom Cruise in its lead role) performed remarkably well at the box office, especially when considering its negative criticism and reviews.
Despite earning a relatively impressive amount of revenue in box office sales. The Mummy box office receipts were still below those seen in several of Tom Cruise’s box office hits - it's notable for how those movies which star Tom Cruise in his leading role, tend to garner enormous box office revenue - a stark contrast to this production, even as audiences went to see it, and despite The Mummy earning a profit - which was not necessarily assured. It was deemed a "box office failure." Its failure served as a turning point for Universal Pictures.
Was The Mummy Reboot a Hit?
It seems that the Dark Universe franchise was not able to gain much traction. One of the key releases, The Mummy (released in 2017 and featuring a unique cast, The Mummy (2017) Cast ), was also designed as an opening movie in an expanded universe - this set the stage for the franchise that Universal had anticipated as a series of big-budget monster films - however, it has had a significant impact, proving to be one of those productions that have led to a change in strategy - and to a significant degree.
Fans who have followed this franchise and have seen the earlier, classic, Universal Monster Movies may be familiar with the Mummy franchise that was released in 1999, starring Brendan Fraser, but, those hoping to see its continuation were disappointed. After The Mummy (2017) received a slew of bad reviews. Those movie fans and critics saw a huge drop in its box office, its reviews and its reception from movie buffs.
Was The Mummy a Box Office Failure?
Those following the franchise would often agree that the Dark Universe was ultimately abandoned. Universal announced the franchise's end in 2019, despite it having set the stage with "The Mummy (2017)." This included a large-scale announcement - that included plans to release films such as The Mummy Returns (1999) and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008) with an extended cast to help develop the storyline for its larger universe.
While "The Mummy (2017)” (a film which included those recognizable characters: a Princess Ahmanet and a menacing figure: the Egyptian diety Set), didn't meet with great enthusiasm. It wasn’t the biggest financial setback for the studio. Instead, the production opted to focus on standalone monster movies, a project that has helped re-energize the Universal franchise, such as the highly anticipated Wolfman, film due out in 2025. These recent efforts may point toward a change in how studios are considering these larger franchises and a potential transition towards a different approach to how films are released and marketed.
How Could Tom Cruise Impact The Dark Universe?
It seems as if Tom Cruise's influence on box office receipts may not be an easy to explain phenomenon, considering just how often he generates enormous revenue, particularly with those blockbusters such as Top Gun: Maverick and his appearances in the Mission: Impossible franchise - films that consistently show great success.
One of Tom Cruise’s largest failures was “The Mummy,” (that was released in 2017), an endeavor which featured a huge, highly touted effort to launch an all new franchise called "Dark Universe". Those who may have known the original film series or enjoyed the earlier release of The Mummy (1999) were also not entirely impressed as those looking forward to this “reboot” were also not fully satisfied with the final production. Its failure may be tied to a larger trend. It shows how Tom Cruise star power isn’t necessarily a "guarantee" for box office success - even with his actor status. It even makes it seem as if there is a deeper understanding of how Hollywood studios and even a project like Universal Studios might have a more difficult time - trying to generate huge box office profits - especially considering those who have followed the Dark Universe films are often those who are expecting high-quality productions and those who are willing to accept nothing less.
Is Tom Cruise’s Star Power A Guarantee for Box Office Success?
Even though Tom Cruise is known to have had an extremely successful career, and with many great achievements - the failure of “The Mummy” might seem surprising. His roles across “Mission: Impossible”, a franchise that continues to do exceptionally well at the box office, "Top Gun: Maverick", and those iconic roles in other movies that have had an incredible amount of impact - the failure of The Mummy makes it seem as if he isn’t always a "safe bet."
The production has often attempted to leverage Tom Cruise’s celebrity - the actor - which also has proven to have a huge impact in other films - as well as to use his star power. But for some fans, this may serve as a warning that while an actor is well recognized and associated with great roles and movies - those aren’t necessarily always a sure-fire win at the box office. A trend which continues to make movie audiences increasingly wary.
