14 DAY TRIAL // The extended Martin Luther King weekend is over, with Clint Eastwood’s “American Sniper” being crowned the king of the box office, and at the same time, the most surprising release in a very long time because it topped even the most optimistic expectations.
“American Sniper” was definitely the winner on its opening weekend, but if we want to talk about losers, we have to look no further than “Blackhat,” directed by Michael Mann and starring none other than the God of Thunder himself, Chris Hemsworth.
“Blackhat” is officially the first major flop of the year, opening even worse than any worst-case scenario.
“Blackhat” made perfect sense on paper
So what happened? Here is a movie with a budget of well over $70 million (€60.4 million), starring one of Hollywood’s most famous leading men, under the direction of an esteemed director who has delivered solid filmmaking for years (“Heat,” “The Insider,” “Public Enemies”), tackling a hot topic like hacking, opening to under $4 million (€3.45 million) in domestic release and barely making it in the top 10 North American box office.
On paper, as Deadline notes, “Blackhat” had everything going on for it, from the talent to the resources and the certainty that no greedy studio boss would have the power of veto over the final cut, because Mann is a very hands-on type of guy who calls all the shots of the creative process, down to the marketing strategy.
Hemsworth is now part of the giant money-making Marvel machine, so at least in theory, he should be able to command enough attention as to carry a movie. “Blackhat” is his second solo outing – and it’s proved an even bigger flop than the previous one, “Rush,” which at least wasn’t torn down by the critics, even if audiences didn’t rush to see it.
Hemsworth is also one the hottest celebrities right now, which, again, would have meant he should be successful in a non-Marvel release. He promoted the film more than he ever did “Thor” or “The Avengers,” and even agreed to take part in a water battle on Jimmy Fallon, and wore only a white shirt. That should have counted for something.
More importantly though, Mann’s reputation precedes him: he is the go-to man for a solid thriller packed with beautiful footage and solid writing, so that alone should have convinced audiences to check this one out.
Then there was the question of the plot, which tackles hacking to show the kind of damage that can be done these days by pressing a single key from behind the computer.
“Blackhat” came out just weeks after the biggest breach to affect showbiz, the Sony Hack, which has been attributed to North Korea because, says the FBI, its Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un didn’t like the way he was portrayed in the action comedy “The Interview.” Again, this should have made moviegoers rush into theaters to see it.
Marketing and timing
The first problem with “Blackhat” was the marketing: as you can see in the video below, the film was sold as a generic action movie of the kind we’ve already seen one too many times. At least if we pay for a ticket to one of these films, we should get someone who has more credibility and badassedness, like Liam Neeson.
Deadline says that, in the weeks before the release, there was practically no awareness of “Blackhat,” because the marketing for it was faulty and lacking at the same time. If you want a January release to be a hit, when this month is considered the box office graveyard, you have to work hard for that to happen, and that includes promoting the film to all sections of the audience.
Timing was equally bad, with “Blackhat” coming out over MLK weekend against a movie that appealed to all patriot Americans, no matter their political beliefs, age, sex or cultural background, “American Sniper.” To boot, this one also had a campaign that resonated with regular people, tugging at their heartstrings and promising an amazing ride with the finished product.
“Blackhat” might be a half-decent film (opinions on it are divided), but it’s the first major flop of 2015, and at the same time, a painful lesson for Universal about how you should never rely on just one name to get people to see your movie. Chris Hemsworth might be the most handsome man in the universe, but he’s yet to prove he can carry a film outside of Marvel releases.
