Is Johnny Depp Still Bankable After 'Transcendence' Flop?
With Transcendence bombing at the box office over Easter weekend Johnny Depp's popularity and bankability is being put to question.
His recent film had all the makings of a box office hit. The actor was starring in a high-concept science fiction which was executive produced by Christopher Nolan and had an all-star cast. It also had a huge budget and a big studio behind it.
However the marketing was off as it did not reveal a plotline and it also had terrible reviews. The movie scored a 20 percent aggregate score on Rotten Tomatoes and critics said, "In his directorial debut, ace cinematographer Wally Pfister remains a distinctive visual stylist, but Transcendence's thought-provoking themes exceed the movie's narrative grasp."
The movie ended up making $11 million in 3,455 theaters. It marks the fourth flop for Depp in a row. However it is his fifth flop out since 2010. The actor was only able to generate a solid box office with Pirates of the Caribbean: On Strangers Tide. However it could be argued that the movie underperformed in the U.S. compared to the first three films in that series because it was the only film in the Pirates series that did not make it to the $300 million in domestic gross. One could also argue that the film succeeded because of the franchise's popularity and not because of Depp.
The 2010 film The Tourist was the actor's first major flop as it only made $67 million and was budgeted at $100 million. The movie opened during the holiday season and even starred Angelina Jolie. However, reviews hampered the movie's success.
In 2012, Dark Shadows reunited Tim Burton and Depp in what was expected to be a big summer success especially after the two had triumphed with Alice in Wonderland, but it resulted in a big debacle and Warner Bros scrapped any plans for a sequel. The film ended up with $79 million and scored mixed reviews.
Last year, Disney attempted to make another series out of The Lone Ranger. The idea was to reunite Gore Verbinksi and Depp after their success together in Pirates. However, the $250 million budgeted film scored terrible reviews and lacked any clear plot line in its marketing. The film ended up making $89 million at the box office and became one of the worst box office bombs in the history of film. While there were plans for a sequel, Disney scrapped any ideas.
Depp has not always been a box office draw in his small Indie films, but big budget movies have always generated buzz.
Public Enemies was a big success as it made $97 million and that was his last none franchise movie to be a hit. Even Sweeney Todd, which only made $52 million, created buzz and hype.
The actor has a number of films ready for release. In December he will be featured in Into the Woods and that will open during the holiday season. While the actor does not showcase in the whole movie, the film's success will help indicate if Depp still has an audience base. Meanwhile, the fifth Pirates movie will be a big test for Disney to see if the franchise is still bankable.
While audiences wait for these two releases, it will be interesting to see where Transcendence ends up by the end of its run.