The Surprising Box Office Failure of 'Dumb Money' Shocks Critics and Audiences Alike

Summary

Dumb Money, a film about ordinary people taking on the rich through the stock market, has performed poorly at the box office despite positive reviews.

The movie, initially released in a limited number of theaters before expanding to over 2,800 locations, raked in $3.5 million within the span of three days.

However, the overall earnings of the film amount to $7.3 million, which falls significantly below its budget of $30 million.

Dumb Money's performance at the domestic box office this weekend has been disappointing. The film, based on the true story of regular people taking on the elite by manipulating GameStop shares, received positive reviews from both critics and audiences, with an 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. After initially being released in a limited number of theaters on September 15, the film expanded to over 2,800 theaters on September 29.

Unfortunately, the wide release of Dumb Money has not been successful, according to Variety. The film only earned $3.5 million over the weekend, bringing its total gross to $7.3 million. This falls significantly short of its $30 million budget.

Will Dumb Money Be Able to Turn a Profit?

Despite receiving positive reviews, the prospects for the movie Dumb Money are currently bleak. A commonly accepted principle is that movies need to earn twice their production budget to be profitable. Therefore, in order for Dumb Money to be considered successful, it would have to surpass a target of $60 million or more, accounting for the expenses incurred on promotional activities.

Dumb Money suffered due to strong competition from a number of popular films that were released during its opening weekend. This limited the number of screens available for Dumb Money. The movie will continue to face similar challenges in the upcoming weeks with the release of highly anticipated films such as The Exorcist: Believer and Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour on October 6 and October 13 respectively.

To minimize its losses, the movie's success relies on two uncertain factors. The first factor is the potential resolution of the SAG-AFTRA strike. If the demands of the union are met, the cast of Dumb Money will be able to promote the film, which could significantly improve its prospects. The second factor is the possibility of receiving Oscar nominations in early 2024. This would require a re-release of the film, potentially attracting more viewers. However, given its current position, it appears unlikely that Dumb Money could turn a profit even with these factors in play. The final outcome is still unknown.

Source: Variety