Benedict Cumberbatch’s The Rose’s Faces Box Office Woes With Weak First Week Earnings ( Photo Credit – Instagram )
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Benedict Cumberbatch takes the lead in The Roses, a satirical black comedy that has struggled badly at the box office since its release on August 29.
The movie, directed by Jay Roach and supported by a strong cast including Olivia Colman and Kate McKinnon, promised to be a big draw. But instead, audiences have not turned up in large numbers, leaving the film’s theatrical run looking bleak at a time when other summer releases are wrapping up.
The Roses Is Not Even Close To Its Original
The film is loosely inspired by Warren Adler’s 1981 novel The War of the Roses and also acts as a remake of the 1989 hit movie of the same name. However, despite the familiar story and Cumberbatch’s global popularity, The Roses managed only about $2.4 million during its opening in the domestic market, per Box Office Mojo. In its first four days, which included a three-day weekend slot, the film collected slightly above $1 million, but since then, it has dropped under that figure. A week into release, it has not even crossed the $10 million mark domestically, a sharp contrast to the original film’s over $160 million lifetime haul.
Globally, the film has so far earned $19.3 million, with more than half of that revenue coming from international audiences. This should have been the ideal week for The Roses to hold its ground since competing titles are near the end of their runs. Instead, the arrival of The Conjuring: Last Rites followed by Demon Slayer Infinity Castle and Leonardo DiCaprio’s One Battle After Another will push it further into the shadows. With the competition only growing tougher, the film is likely to fade even faster from screens.
The Roses cost around $26 million to produce, which means it has to cross at least double that figure to break even after marketing and distribution expenses are factored in. At its current pace, recovery looks extremely difficult, and if the trend continues, this project may be remembered as one of the low points in Cumberbatch’s career. The critical response has been lukewarm as well, with a 64 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, neither a disaster nor a boost strong enough to lure new viewers.
The Roses Storyline
The story unfolds in London where Theo (Benedict Cumberbatch), a young architecture student, crosses paths with Ivy (Olivia Colman), a chef hoping to move to America. They marry, build a life together, and raise twins, Hattie and Roy. Ivy lets go of her dream to care for the children, until Theo buys her a restaurant space. However, success shifts between them when a storm destroys Theo’s museum and Ivy’s restaurant flourishes. Eventually resentment follows, and their marriage begins to crack before the climax brings them to a fragile moment of honesty, but tragedy strikes when a gas leak ignites after Theo lights a flame.
