10 Recent Movies That Didn't Deserve To Fail THIS BAD!
4. King Richard
Budget: $50 million
Earned: $38.4 million
King Richard tells the true story of coach Richard Williams, who turned his daughters, Serena and Venus, into sporting legends.
As compelling as the story is, even the best movies need a Hollywood star if they expect to compete against blockbusters and superhero flicks.
So, who better to play the titular role than Will Smith? Bankability is so synonymous with the Hollywood star, his absence from The Suicide Squad is perceived as one of the main reasons that film failed.
Now, let's not kid ourselves, sport bioflicks rarely do well - Smith already knew this when Ali tanked - but with King Richard's relatively small budget, it seemed feasible for it to earn a decent profit.
Despite rave reviews and Smith's Oscar-winning performance, King Richard made a pittance. Due to its 144-minute runtime and simultaneous release on HBO Max, most viewers preferred to stream it rather than check it out at the cinema. Coupled with the fact King Richard came out at the same time as Ghostbusters: Afterlife, it's surprising the biographical drama earned as much as it did.