Paramount and MGM’s big-budget biblical-era epic “Ben-Hur” is expected to land in theaters this weekend with a Roman armor-plated thud.
Produced for a reported $100 million (which doesn’t count the presumed tens of millions of dollars spent on marketing), multiple trackers are currently setting its opening weekend gross at a paltry $12 million on average.
The studio has more faith, saying its estimates are closer to $20 million — still not great.
Timur Bekmambetov‘s remake of the 1959 hit starring Charlton Heston is the latest in a perplexingly large number of decades-old stories getting dusted off, repackaged and unleashed by Hollywood.
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Some of the year’s biggest misfires include Fox’s “Independence Day: Resurgence,” out 20 years after the original; Disney’s six-years-later sequel “Alice Through the Looking Glass” sequel; Sony’s “Ghostbusters,” a reboot of a 1980s franchise; and Warner Bros.’ new take on the oft remade “The Legend of Tarzan.”
“Reboots have been a dirty little trend in Hollywood of late and audiences have given them the boot at nearly every opportunity,” Jeff Bock, senior analyst at Exhibitor Relations, told TheWrap.
Of course there are outlier hits, like Disney-Pixar’s 13-years-later sequel “Finding Dory” and also Disney’s “The Jungle Book” — a CG-heavy live-action version released nearly 50 years after the studio’s animated classic.
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“For years, sequels, remakes, reboots and movies based on nonoriginal intellectual property have been the bread and butter of the movie industry,” comScore senior analyst Paul Dergarabedian told TheWrap. “In any given year, the list of the Top 10 performing movies is always dominated by the comfortably familiar, the previously branded and the safest bets on the slate.”
But “Ben-Hur,” which is being released in both 2D and 3D, is widely seen as an odd choice to reboot. Not only is Heston’s version a classic to film buffs, but it’s not widely known to younger audiences. “It took a lot of guts to put that kind of money toward a movie like this, which, on the face of it, is not very commercial,” admitted Dergarabedian.
The opening estimates of “Ben-Hur” are worse than Universal’s “Warcraft,” which was widely considered one of the summer’s biggest bombs, opening to $24.2 million domestically against a hefty $160 million budget.
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Of course, the video game-based movie went on to do bang-up business overseas, where it netted $386.3 million, nearly 90 percent of its global take.
The same may not happen for “Ben-Hur,” which stars Jack Huston as the prince Judah Ben-Hur who seeks revenge on his adopted brother, a Roman army officer played by Toby Kebbell, after being falsely accused of treason and forced to spend years at sea. Still, Paramount expects the movie to open strongly in Mexico and Brazil this weekend — two of the 19 markets overseas that will be releasing the movie.
“‘Ben-Hur’ enters the fray as one of the costlier reboots in recent history and doesn’t look to have much upside either,” Bock said. “Unless church groups somehow jump on board, this looks like it may crash and burn and end up being one of the biggest misfires of the summer season.”
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The 1959 epic starring Heston was a remake of a 1925 silent film of the same name. Based on the 1880 novel “Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ” by Lew Wallace, it was first adapted for the screen in 1907.
In other words, the new movie is based on really old material.
The Heston remake was a huge hit for its time. Adjusted for inflation, 1959’s “Ben-Hur” is the 14th highest grossing film of all time. But what suited 1950s-era audiences does not reflect what moviegoers are flocking to now.
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“Classic films are among the most challenging to remake and duplicate commercial success because they captured a rare magic to begin with,” said Shawn Robbins of BoxOffice.com.
With only 7.2 percent of the current market share among all studios, Paramount isn’t having the best year. The studio’s biggest hit this year, “Star Trek Beyond,” hasgrossed only $211.7 million worldwide on a whopping $185 million budget.
Although it still has more foreign markets to hit, including China, the movie needs to be a hit in each one in order to get into the black.
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“After ‘Ben-Hur’ and what happened with ‘Ghostbusters’ this summer, hopefully studios will realize reboots are for the birds… namely the buzzards,” Bock said.
He points to Sony — not Paramount — as one of the most frequent offenders. “They scored decently with ‘Annie,’ but flailed with ‘Total Recall,'” he said. “Next summer they have ‘Flatliners.’ That title says it all.”
25 Fall Movies We're Dying to See: From 'The Birth of a Nation' to 'Rogue One' (Photos)
Fall Preview 2016: TheWrap picks the movies you need to see before the year's end, from superhero films to critically acclaimed indies.
"The Light Between Oceans"
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Rachel Weisz
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Release Date: Sept. 2
What it's about: A lighthouse keeper (Fassbender) and his wife (Vikander) rescue a baby girl who washes up in a rowboat and unofficially adopt her. When the girl grows older, an encounter with a certain woman on the mainland threatens to break up their happy life.
Why we're dying to see it: This is the movie that started the real-life Fassbender-Vikander romance. We have to see the chemistry that unfolds between them on screen.
DreamWorks
"The Magnificent Seven"
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Cast: Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke
Release Date: Sept. 23
What it's about: A remake of the classic Western about seven outlaws as they help a town under siege by an industrialist villain.
Why we're dying to see it: It's an A-list remake that showcases some good diversity. Plus Antoine Fuqua directed "Training Day," in which Denzel Washington won an Academy Award for Best Actor.
Columbia Pictures
"Queen of Katwe"
Director: Mira Nair
Cast: Lupita Nyong'o, David Oyelowo, Madina Nalwanga
Release Date: Sept. 23
What it's about: A biographical drama about Phiona Mutesi, a Ugandan chess prodigy who earned Woman Candidate Master at the World Chess Olympiads.
Why we're dying to see it: It's an untold story of a Ugandan chess player who grew up in the slum of Katwe. Rarely do we get to see feel-good stories about Africa on the big screen.
Walt Disney Pictures
"The Girl on the Train"
Cast: Emily Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, Haley Bennett
Director: Tate Taylor
Release Date: Oct. 7
What it's about: The story follows a recently divorced woman (Blunt) who fantasizes during her daily commute about the seemingly perfect couple who live in a house that her train passes every day, until she sees something shocking and becomes entangled in a mystery.
Why we're dying to see it: It's based on Paula Hawkins' best-selling novel and has the same feel as "Gone Girl."
Universal Pictures
"The Birth of a Nation"
Cast: Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, Mark Boone Junior, Gabrielle Union
Director: Nate Parker
Release Date: Oct. 7
What it's about: Parker stars as the 19th-century slave Nat Turner, who was taught to read the Bible to preach to fellow slaves but wound up leading a famous rebellion in 1831.
Why we're dying to see it: Parker's directorial debut was phenomenon at Sundance, where it was bought for a festival-record $17.5 million.
Fox Searchlight Pictures
"Kevin Hart: What Now?"
Cast: Kevin Hart
Director: Leslie Small
Release Date: Oct. 14
What it's about: A stand-up comedy film that features his performance from the recently concluded "What Now?" tour.
Why we're dying to see it: It's been five long years since his last stand-up film, "Laugh at My Pain."
Universal Pictures
"A Monster Calls"
Cast: Liam Neeson, Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones
Director: J.A. Bayona
Release Date: Oct. 21
What it's about: A young boy deals with a terminally ill mother and bullies at school with the help of an ancient monster tree (voiced by Liam Neeson).
Why we're dying to see it: Patrick Ness' fantastical children's novel, based on an idea from a woman with terminal cancer, was adapted for the screen by Ness himself.
Focus Features
"Doctor Strange"
Cast: Rachel McAdams, Benedict Cumberbatch, Benedict Wong, Mads Mikkelson, Tilda Swinton
Director: Scott Derrickson
Release Date: Nov. 4
What it's about: Dr. Stephen Strange (Cumberbatch) is an egotistical but brilliant surgeon whose career is destroyed after a car accident ruins his hands. Searching the globe to repair them, he encounters the Ancient One (Swinton), a sorcerer who trains Strange to defend the world from evil.
Why we’re excited to see it: Doctor Strange is one of Marvel’s more eccentric (and lesser known) heroes and the trailers have promised plenty some seriously trippy, magical mayhem.
Walt Disney Studios
“Hacksaw Ridge”
Cast: Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Vince Vaughn, Teresa Palmer
Director: Mel Gibson
Release Date: Nov. 4
What it’s about: It's based on the true story of U.S. Army medic Desmond T. Doss (Garfield) during World War II. Doss refused to kill anybody or bear arms, becoming the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor from President Harry Truman.
Why we’re excited to see it: The story sounds fascinating, and this is Mel Gibson’s first film as a director since 2006’s “Apocalypto.”
Summit Entertainment
"Loving"
Cast: Joel Edgerton, Ruth Negga, Nick Kroll
Director: Jeff Nichols
Release Date: Nov. 4
What it's about: An interracial couple wages a legal fight against imprisonment in the mid-20th-century South, leading to the landmark 1967 Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia.
Why we're dying to see it: The film has been building buzz since its debut at Cannes, particularly for co-star Ruth Negga.
Focus Features
"All Eyez on Me"
Cast: Demetrius Shipp Jr. Danai Gurira, Lauren Cohan
Director: Benny Boom
Release Date: Nov. 11
What it's about: A biopic on Tupac Shaku's rise to fame all the way to his death during a drive-by in Las Vegas.
Why we're dying to see it: Tupac has had multiple films made about his life, but the last one worth watching ("Tupac: Resurrection") was released 13 years ago. Plus, Tupac.
Open Road Films
"Arrival"
Cast: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Release Date: Nov. 16
What it's about: After alien spacecrafts descend on Earth, a linguist (Adams) is hired by the U.S. government to investigate them.
Why we're dying to see it: The film has a strong pedigree, Adams has been nominated for five Oscars and the director's last film, "Sicario," received three Oscar nominations.
Paramount Pictures
"Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk"
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Chris Tucker, Vin Diesel, Garrett Hedlund
Director: Ang Lee
Release Date: Nov. 11
What it's about: Based on a novel of the same name, the film follows an Iraq war hero whose victory tour back in the U.S. is interrupted by jarring flashbacks.
Why we're dying to see it: Great source material, and Ang Lee's first film since another eye-catching literary adaptation, "The Life of Pi."
TriStar Pictures
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”
Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Colin Farrell
Director: David Yates
Release Date: Nov. 18
What it’s about: Before Harry Potter even existed, there was Newt Scamander (Redmayne). The wizard -- and future author of a textbook mainstay at Hogwarts — visits the Magical Congress of the United States in 1926, but loses control of a special briefcase containing a number of dangerous beasts.
Why we’re excited to see it: J.K. Rowling. Wizards. Eddie Redmayne.
“Nocturnal Animals”
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Amy Adams, Isla Fisher, Armie Hammer
Director: Tom Ford
Release Date: Nov. 18
What it’s about: In an adaptation of Austin Wright's 1933 novel “Tony and Susan,” Adams stars as an art gallery owner who begins receiving the manuscript of her ex-husband’s violent thriller novel. As Susan reads more of the story, she begins to interpret it as a threat.
Why we’re excited to see it: This will be fashion designer Tom Ford’s second directorial feature, following 2009’s “A Single Man.” The dynamic cast is sure to make this thriller a memorable one.
Focus Features
"Manchester by the Sea"
Cast: Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, Lucas Hedge
Director: Kenneth Lonergan
Release Date: Nov. 18
What it’s about: An uncle (Affleck) must take care of his teenage nephew (Hedge) and return to his hometown after the death of the boy’s father.
Why we’re excited to see it: The film received high praise when it premiered at Sundance and Lucas Hedge delivers a breakout performance as the nephew, Patrick.
Amazon Studios
"Moana"
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Auli’i Cravalho, Phillipa Soo
Director: Ron Clements, John Musker
Release Date: Nov. 23
What it’s about: A young woman, Moana (Cravalho), sets sail for a fabled island and is joined by demigod Maui (Johnson) along the way.
Why we’re excited to see it: The animated musical is Disney’s first story about a Polynesian princess and will feature original music by “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. Plus, the Rock sings!
"La La Land"
Cast: Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, J.K. Simmons, Finn Wittrock
Director: Damien Chazelle
Release Date: Dec. 2
What it’s about: Stone and Gosling star as an aspiring actress and a jazz pianist, respectively, in modern-day L.A. The two meet and soon fall in love, but as each begins to find success in their dream careers, their relationship threatens to tear apart.
Why we’re excited to see it: We’ve already seen the chemistry between Stone and Gosling in “Crazy, Stupid, Love” and “Gangster Squad,” so we can’t wait to see what happens with the two of them when dancing and music are added in this romantic comedy-drama musical.
"Fences"
Director: Denzel Washington
Cast: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Jovan Adepo
Release Date: Dec. 16
What's it about: A once-promising baseball player ends up working as a garbageman in 1950s Pittsburgh.
Why we're dying to see it: August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize winning play with two amazing actors -- who won Tonys in 2010 for playing these very roles on Broadway.
20th Century Fox
"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"
Cast: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Riz Ahmed, Mads Mikkelsen
Director: Gareth Edwards
Release Date: Dec. 16
What it’s about: Essentially a prequel to “Star Wars: A New Hope,” the film follows a group of Rebel spies as they attempt to steal plans for the Death Star.
Why we’re excited to see it: Not only is it the first standalone film in the "Star Wars" franchise, but the trailer promises a badass female lead and plenty of fight scenes.
Lucasfilm
"Collateral Beauty"
Cast: Will Smith, Keira Knightley, Helen Mirren, Kate Winslet, Edward Norton
Director: David Frankel
Release Date: Dec. 16
What it’s about: An advertising executive in New York faces a downward spiral after a tragic event, prompting his colleagues to seek a plan to get him out his funk.
Why we’re excited to see it: “The Devil Wears Prada” director returns to New York City with an all-star cast.
Getty Images
"The Founder"
Cast: Michael Keaton, Laura Dern, Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch
Director: John Lee Hancock
Release Date: Dec. 16
What it’s about: The biographical film follows Ray Kroc (Keaton) meeting Mac and Dick McDonald and developing the first McDonald’s franchise.
Why we’re excited to see it: Aren’t you curious to hear how McDonald’s started? And Keaton could be back in the Oscar race for the third straight year.
"Passengers"
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pratt, Michael Sheen, Laurence Fishburne
Director: Morten Tyldum
Release Date: Dec. 21
What it’s about: Lawrence and Pratt play two passengers aboard a spacecraft that’s on a 120-year journey to a distant planet. Due to a malfunction, two passengers are prematurely woken up with 90 years left to go on the voyage.
Why we’re excited to see it: Two of Hollywood's biggest stars team for a sci-fi romance that seemed very promising from the first footage shown at CinemaCon in April.
Getty Images
"Why Him?"
Cast: James Franco, Zoey Deutch, Bryan Cranston, Keegan-Michael Key, Adam DeVine, Megan Mullally
Director: John Hamburg
Release Date: Dec. 25
What it’s about: A father (Cranston) meets his daughter’s wealthy and eccentric boyfriend (Franco) and immediately dislikes him -- and resists all of Franco's attempts to win him over.
Why we’re excited to see it: Cranston and Franco seem like the perfect oddball pairing-- plus it's great to see them both in a comdy.
20th Century Fox
"Toni Erdmann"
Cast: Peter Simonischek, Sandra Hüller, Michael Wittenborn
Director: Maren Ade
Release Date: Dec. 25
What it’s about: An older father (Simonischek) tries to reconnect with his adult daughter (Hüller) by playing pranks on her.
Why we’re excited to see it: The comedic film, a hit at Cannes, boasts a 91 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. TheWrap’s Steve Pond described it as a “hysterically funny but deeply touching father-daughter story that ... doesn’t waste a moment.”
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Fall Movie Preview 2016: TheWrap picks the films you need to see before year’s end
Fall Preview 2016: TheWrap picks the movies you need to see before the year's end, from superhero films to critically acclaimed indies.
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