The Rhythm Section Producers Say They're 'Obviously Disappointed' After Historic Box Office Bomb
The producers of Blake Lively‘s latest film The Rhythm Section are speaking out after the movie opened to record-breaking lows its debut weekend.
The action-drama directed by Reed Morano (The Handmaid’s Tale) initially received buzz as a female-led James Bond-esque film (the movie was produced by Barbara Broccoli, who’s behind the British spy franchise). Yet, the $50 million production only grossed $2.8 million across 3,049 theaters in its first three days, according to IndieWire.
These box office numbers made history as the lowest opening ever for a movie showing in more than 3,000 theaters.
Eon producers Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson told Deadline that the company is “obviously disappointed with the box office” after hearing how poorly the film opened.
However, they shared they are “proud of Reed and our movie” as well as the “overwhelmingly positive reaction to Blake’s performance.”
RELATED: Blake Lively Says New Spy Movie The Rhythm Section Has ‘Emotionality’ Not in James Bond Movies
According to Deadline, the poor turnout for the movie is estimated to lose Paramount as much as $30 million.
Lively, 32, typically finds herself on the other end of the box office spectrum — her last thrillers A Simple Favor and The Shallows earned upwards of $97 million and $191 million respectively, the outlet reported.
In the film, Lively plays Stephanie Patrick, a woman who sets out on a path of revenge after learning the airplane crash that killed her family was no accident. To uncover the truth, Stephanie adopts a new identity of an assassin — with the help of some disguises — to hunt down those responsible for the tragedy.
The film, co-starring Jude Law and Sterling K. Brown, is a modern adaptation of the first of British thriller writer Mark Burnell’s Stephanie Patrick series.
While her role teased similarities to Bond’s character, the actress said she never channeled 007.
“You have the producers of Bond, but there’s femininity [and] humanity to Stephanie,” Lively told Variety at the film’s New York City premiere on Jan. 27. “There’s emotionality. You see her emotions in a way that you don’t often in movies like this where a man is at the center.”
Lively explained that, while men are capable of creating well-rounded female heroes on the big screen, a woman’s perspective adds another layer.
“Men have told some of the most beautiful stories about women that I’ve ever seen,” said Lively. “But sometimes you get that thing where they want to make her likable or they want to be sure she seems strong or still seems attractive.”
She added: “They’re worried about these things because they’ve never been a woman.”
The Rhythm Section is in theaters now.