In recent years, Mark Wahlberg has done projects that are aimed at family audiences. While the actor has done his fair share of intense and bold movies, his recent ventures like Uncharted, Father Stu, and The Family Plan show his intention to attract a larger audience. Wahlberg is continuing this trend with another true-story-inspired film Arthur the King.
While the film’s trailer and promotions have intrigued audiences, it does not have the appeal of recent big-ticket movies like Dune 2 and Kung Fu Panda 4. Information regarding the film’s weekend box office forecast has been revealed and it seems the film will have a slow start at the box office.
Arthur the King’s Three-Day Box Office Forecast is Disheartening
Mark Wahlberg returns to the big screen with a feel-good adventure drama film Arthur the King. The film is based on the book Arthur – The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home which chronicled the life of Mikael Lindnord, a real-life adventure racer who befriended a stray dog during a race in Ecuador.
As seen in the trailer, Wahlberg plays Lindnord in the film with a team of adventure racers played by Simu Liu, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Ali Suliman. The film is directed by Simon Cellan Jones, who recently directed Wahlberg in The Family Plan.
The film opened on March 15, 2024, and has received good reviews from critics and fans. The film is opening amidst the strong box office runs of both Dune 2 and Kung Fu Panda 4. Box Office Pro revealed its three-day weekend box-office forecast of the film from March 15-17 and it is projected to earn below the other two films.
Dune 2 and Kung Fu Panda 4 are in their 3rd and 2nd week and are projected to earn $29.7 million and $32.9 million respectively. On the other hand, in the opening weekend of its release, Arthur the King is projected to earn only $12 million. This is not a great start to the film but compared to its budget of $19 million, it isn’t horrible either.
The film may pick up its pace by next week as people who have seen and loved the film may recommend it to other people. Wahlberg has a strong fan following and the film has an amazing audience score on Rotten Tomatoes (97%). People who have seen it seem to appreciate the film and one hopes that this heartwarming film finds more audiences as the days go on.
Mark Wahlberg Teases the Return to Playing a Crazy Bad Guy in Flight Risk
Mark Wahlberg has rarely played twisted and villainous characters on-screen. The last time he played such a character was in 1996’s Fear where he played a guy whose obsession with a girl takes a dark turn. Wahlberg was interviewed by Collider about his new film Arthur the King, where he revealed some interesting information about his upcoming thriller Flight Risk.
The film is directed by Mel Gibson and Wahlberg had nothing but great words to say about working with the esteemed director. He also teased that he plays a crazy/ wild individual, comparing it to his villainous performance in Fear. He said,
“It was phenomenal. Really, me being the sponge and loving to work with people who have great talent and to be able to just watch him and be a student for the 20-some-odd days was remarkable. I play the craziest f**ker you’ve ever seen. I haven’t played a bad guy since Fear. It’s off the charts. It’s crazy.”
Gibson has always made great films and always extracts something exceptional from his actors, like Andrew Garfield in Hacksaw Ridge. One can expect the same from Wahlberg in this film. The film also stars Topher Grace, and Michelle Dockery and is expected to release sometime this year.
Fans can watch Wahlberg’s latest film Arthur the King in theaters.
