Simon Cellan Jones-directed Arthur the King was born as a promising flick to do well on the big screen, and Lionsgate had all the reasons to believe in it. But the road to tackle the competitors was not smooth as the move was scrapped badly.
In hindsight, there is not one single reason for the bumpy road to the Mark Wahlberg-led movie. Dog movies that have done quite well in the past include Channing Tatum’s movie, Dog. But what led to the downfall of Arthur the King? What went wrong? One mistake from Lionsgate may have pushed the movie to the edge of box-office doom.
The Lionsgate Move That Proved To Be Fatal For Mark Wahlberg’s Arthur the King
Mark Wahlberg’s Arthur the King has all it takes to hit the big screen and collect a handsome profit. Yet, the movie is choking at the box office fighting to breathe amid the dominance of Kung Fu Panda 4 and Dune: Part Two.
Arthur the King has an “A” CinemaScore and as the movie was made with a production budget of $20+ million (per Deadline), the studio needs to recover that sum to call it a success. The primary reason for the downfall of the movie, per Deadline, however, can be traced back to marketing and advertising.
As the movie charms with bike adventure, Lionsgate targeted the male sports audiences, ignoring the rest. While the family audience and Wahlberg fan base needed a push, the studio made a mistake to turn their back on them. The result is evident in the box-office gross of $7.5 million from 3,003 theaters (per Variety.) Movie consulting firm, Franchise Entertainment Research’s David A. Gross explained it well.
“It’s not a family film or a comedy, but it’s not a hard adventure for moviegoers who like edgier entertainment. All of that complicates the sell,” Gross said.
Entertainment One and Tucker Tooley Entertainment also financed the action-adventure. The movie is still in the game, but standing sky high is very unlikely, considering the current scenario.
Simon Cellan Jones Reflected On Mark Wahlberg’s Canine Companion
Based on Mikael Lindnord’s Arthur – The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home, the movie was intended to have a feel-good effect on the audience. Of course, canine stories often engross the audience. Reflecting on the movie, director Simon Cellan Jones reflected on Wahlberg’s canine friend. “Well, he was a lovely dog,” Jones told The Direct of Ukai, the dog that played Aurther in the movie.
“And he didn’t speak English. And although he did, I think, have a very bright attitude to him. And I think he’s very intelligent. You know, we had to give him some leeway. We had to give him a little bit a little bit of food. And we had to be patient. We had three dogs that came over from America. But this one, Ukai, he’s the only guy we used. I think there’s one other dog in a wide shot somewhere, but everything else is his job.”
The director went on to add, “The relationship between Mikael, the character, and the dog was the heart of the movie.” Also, Ukai and Wahlberg shared a special bond that helped the director bring out the essence of the narrative. Arthur the King also stars Simu Liu and Nathalie Emmanuel.
Arthur the King is currently showing in theaters.
