The Great Wall, Fist Fight, and A Cure For Wellness tank at US box office
Matt Damon failed to bring in Americans
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Your support makes all the difference.Despite starring Matt Damon as China’s saviour, The Great Wall has flopped in America, scoring a debut weekend $21 million off an $150 million production budget.
The Zhang Yimou directed film fell behind the likes of The LEGO Batman Movie and Fifty Shades Darker, both of which were released last week.
None of the new releases did particularly well, with Fist Fight - starring Ice Cube and Charlie Day - taking just $12 million (budget $25 million) and A Cure For Wellness making just $4.2 million (budget $40 million).
Legendary Pictures’ The Great Wall - which the studio claim is the first English-language production shot entirely in China - may have failed to impress American audiences, but in China the film has already earned $171 million.
"The US is not the driving market and just one part of an overall strategy,” Universal president of domestic distribution Nick Carpou told The Hollywood Reporter.
"The movie did huge business and continues to open in other international numbers. It just opened number one in Russia. Zhang Yimou is an extraordinary action director.”
Along with the upcoming release of Ghost in the Shell, The Great Wall has spurred on the ongoing debate surrounding white-washing in cinema, many viewers taking issue with Matt Damon heading to China to save the day.
A Cure For Wellness also caused controversy after Fox planted fake news stories as part of the film’s marketing. The studio has since apologised.
Other films to feature in the top ten grossing films in America include John Wick: Chapter, Hidden Figures, Split, A Dog's Purpose and La La Land.
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