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Box Office: As Mickey 17 faces major losses, experts believe Bong Joon Ho is the latest victim of the Oscars curse
Mickey 17 struggles at the box office despite critical acclaim, fueling debate on whether Bong Joon Ho is the latest victim of the Oscars curse after his Parasite success.
Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17 has underperformed at the box office, and some are wondering if it's the latest victim of the so-called Oscar curse. Over the past decade, many Best Director winners have struggled with their follow-up outings, raising the question: Does winning Hollywood’s biggest prize set filmmakers up for failure?
The South Korean director’s science fiction dark comedy, featuring Robert Pattinson in the titular role, was made on a USD 118 million budget minus the marketing cost. It has earned only around USD 110.7 million globally despite critical acclaim and solid audience reviews. The film’s theatrical run replicates other films by directors fresh off Oscar wins.
Here’s the pattern, courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter: Ang Lee followed Life of Pi (2012) with Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk (2016), which flopped. Damien Chazelle, the youngest Best Director winner for La La Land (2016), saw his ambitious First Man (2018) underperform. Guillermo Del Toro’s Nightmare Alley (2021) didn’t come close to mirroring the success of The Shape of Water (2018), despite strong reviews. Chloé Zhao, after Nomadland (2020), struggled with Marvel’s Eternals (2021).
The curse isn’t new. Michael Cimino’s Heaven’s Gate (1980) bombed after his Oscar-winning The Deer Hunter (1978). It even took down United Artists in the process.
Per THR’s conversation with film historian Thomas Doherty, the trend of Oscar-winning filmmakers delivering duds may be because people working with them entrust blind faith without questioning their judgment. By people, he meant producers, writers, and actors. With less pushback, directors might take bigger creative risks that don’t always land.
Still, not every filmmaker falls into the trap. Alejandro G. Iñárritu won back-to-back Best Director Academy Awards for Birdman (2014) and The Revenant (2015), and Alfonso Cuarón followed Gravity (2013) with Roma (2018).
So maybe Mickey 17 is just an unlucky misfire. For those wondering, Bong won Best Director for Parasite in 2020. The former film marked his comeback to the big screen.
Mickey 17, per a recent report, is set to lose Warner Bros. USD 70 to USD 80 million. Besides Pattinson, it stars Mark Ruffalo, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, and Toni Collette.
Have you watched Mickey 17 in cinemas yet? Do let us know your thoughts if you have!
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