Asteroid City grossed $28.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $25.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide gross of $54 million. In its limited opening weekend, it made $853,382 from six theaters, finishing in tenth.
Sure, it's probably not going to turn a profit in its theatrical run alone, but the movie has already been on VOD for weeks now pulling in money that way. Between the Blu-ray release and other revenue streams, Anderson's latest will turn a profit. This is just how he does it.
Like another Marvel Star Edward Norton, who doesn't make a lot for his work on Wes Anderson's movies, Johansson made a mere $4,131 a Week for Asteroid City. In total, the actress made around $33,000 for her work, which isn't common for an industry giant like Johansson, known for making millions for her work in the MCU.
How much does a movie need to make to be profitable?
It is usually estimated that a movie needs to make two or three times its budget to become profitable in Hollywood after marketing costs, splitting revenue with theaters, and more are factored in. Since The Creator only cost $80 million, the $160 million estimation would be twice the cost.
The film explores themes of loneliness and the power of human connection in a complex and layered story set in a desolate desert town. The lack of clear meaning or resolution in some aspects of the film actually serves to reinforce its central theme of embracing uncertainty and moving forward in life.
Bryan Cranston Explains Why You Should Watch 'Asteroid City' Twice
Was Asteroid City a flop?
Box office. Asteroid City grossed $28.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $25.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide gross of $54 million. In its limited opening weekend, it made $853,382 from six theaters, finishing in tenth.
'Asteroid City' is a film packed to the rafters with nothing of note. The narrative is overloaded with unnecessary stylizations that distract rather than engage. Moreover, the switching back and forth between the play and the show about it is jarring throughout, while the overarching structure is alienating.
VOD revenues tend to dry up after a few years, but movie studios can still make money from older films by licensing them to Netflix or Amazon Prime. However, the success of original content on the streaming services also draws audiences away from traditional movies.
Adam Sandler's four film projects of 2023 propelled him to an annual salary of $73m (£57m), making him the highest-paid performer in Hollywood, according to Forbes magazine.
Tom Cruise is one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, with his earnings per movie varying based on factors such as the film's budget, his role, and his negotiation skills. On average, Cruise earns about $20 million per movie, but this can go as high as $25 million or more for certain films.
Nominated for Nothing: The Academy didn't wake up to Asteroid City because it couldn't fall asleep. Wes Anderson's latest feature deserved more consideration from the Oscars.
Asteroid City's $28.2m running total following a wide expansion makes it the second highest grossing specialty sector release for the year to date behind Hayao Miyazaki's December 8 release The Boy And The Heron on $31.3m and counting via GKids.
One of the most successful low-budget films was 1999's The Blair Witch Project. It had a budget of around $60,000 but grossed almost $249 million worldwide. It spawned books, a trilogy of video games, and a less-popular sequel.
Among the elite list of 54 billion-dollar grossing films are sequels, Disney remakes and iconic franchises such as Star Wars, Avatar, James Bond, The Lord of the Rings, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Harry Potter, The Fast & The Furious Jurassic Park, The Dark Knight, Transformers and Disney and Pixar toons.
Zyzzyx Road holds the title for the lowest-grossing movie ever, making just $30 at the box office. The film was made specifically for distribution overseas, but a Screen Actors Guild contract required a U.S. theatrical release.
In ASTEROID CITY, Anderson creates a feel of the 1950s that is more convincing than accurate. This isn't up to his best films, but Anderson fans won't want to miss it. For someone as memed as Wes Anderson, you'd think he'd stop surprising us. An exercise of self-indulgence and soulless nonsense.
We as humans love to control things, of course. We love to know where things are, how they work, what they mean, and Anderson's films are an externalization of one man's feelings on that essential truth. With Asteroid City, he reinforces that truth, while also letting us know that it's OK to let go once in a while.
