Ben-Hur, the $100 million historical epic that opened this weekend, is on its way to being a different kind of epic—an epic flop.
According to Variety, the film made $4.5 million on its first day, and is on track for a $12 million opening weekend, according to early estimates. This would put it fourth or fifth in the box office race, behind Suicide Squad, War Dogs, and Sausage Party—and neck-and-neck with the animated feature Kubo and the Two Strings.
Ben-Hur is the fifth film adaptation of Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The best-known film version is the one from 1959, which starred Charlton Heston and won 11 Academy Awards. The 2016 version was produced by, among others, Mark Burnett of Survivor fame. Some commentators are already calling it the biggest flop of the summer.
Reviews have not been kind, either. Ben-Hur currently has a 31% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film is directed by Timur Bekmambetov and stars Jack Huston, best known for his role as Richard Harrow in Boardwalk Empire. Morgan Freeman also has a significant part and Rodrigo Santoro (a.k.a. Xerxes from 300) plays Jesus.
Ben-Hur's impending failure could be a big blow for Paramount-MGM, which has already seen Zoolander 2, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, and Star Trek Beyond perform below expectations. The company has also recently seen some nasty legal battles over leadership, which finally ended this week with CEO Philippe Dauman leaving and 93-year-old Sumner Redstone regaining control.
