Dwayne Johnson may be one of the most bankable stars on the planet, but even he can’t help Skyscraper’s bad (relatively speaking) box office projections.  The film, which also stars Neve Campbell, Pablo Schreiber, and Noah Taylor, opens this Friday, July 13. It’s already producing superstitious jokes about the opening day, since the film isn’t being very well received.

Skyscraper, the fifth directorial effort from Rawson Marshall Thurber, finds Johnson playing former FBI Hostage Rescue Team leader and U.S. war veteran Will Ford. The plot centers on a father who goes out of his way to save his family from a burning skyscraper. Though the trailers have been exciting, the reviews of the movie have been less than thrilling. The film, as of Wednesday afternoon, has a 62 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating, but negative reviews have taken over the discussion of the film. One critic calls the scripting “lazy,” while another says it plays out as a “metaphor for diminishing returns.” However, there are some critics who praise Skyscraper purely for its entertainment value.

The film (per The Wrap) is expected to take in only $35 to $40 million at the box office this weekend, which isn’t abysmal, but is by no means impressive. Skyscraper cost $120 million to make, and a film generally needs to at least double its budget to account for marketing costs. However, Skyscraper could still break even with the help of the international market, and future home video/streaming releases.

Ultimately, Skyscraper’s underperformance could make people question if Dwayne Johnson’s box office appeal is starting to wane. Opening last Christmas, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle became Sony’s highest grossing film ever at the domestic box office. However, Rampage, released in April, didn’t live up to expectations, grossing less than $100 million domestically. Were it not for a hefty overseas gross, Rampage would be considered an outright flop. Many doubt that Skyscraper will make more money than Rampage, and it doesn’t help that it’s opening during the second half of the summer - a time when box office figures typically slow down.

Still, it’s far from time to begin counting out Johnson. After all, he’ll star in the new Fast & Furious spinoff Hobbs and Shaw - which is expected to be released in 2019 - and he’s also already signed on for plenty of other likely to be hit films, including a Jumanji sequel and DC’s Black Adam. Skyscraper may end up being a flop, but it will likely be nothing but a small blip on Johnson’s gigantic Hollywood career.

More: Fast & Furious Spinoff is a Hobbs & Shaw ‘Buddy Movie’

Source: The Wrap

  • Skyscraper Release Date: 2018-07-13