10 Recent Movies That Didn't Deserve To Fail THIS BAD!
5. The Northman
Budget: Up to $90 million
Earned: $69 million
With only three movies under his belt, Robert Eggers has proven to be among the most talented directors working today. Even though his previous work, The VVitch and The Lighthouse, received universal acclaim, they were too niche to have much of an impact with the box-office.
So, fans were hoping Eggers' The Northman would turn the tide. Due to its sprawling battles, magnificent cast, visceral action, and astounding cinematography, it was expected to be a hit and make Eggers a mainstream filmmaker.
Ironically, The Northman was Eggers' biggest financial bomb. Just to add insult to injury, it was the only film the New Hampshire filmmaker directed that didn't break even.
With its R-rating, The Northman was always fighting an uphill battle to generate a profit. It also didn't help that the film wasn't advertised well. In fact, the advertising campaign was ridiculed after people pointed out the film's posters in New York's subway stations forgot to include the title. How do you expect moviegoers to see The Northman when they don't know what it's called??