Thanks to Hurricane Matthew and a whirlwind of bad press surrounding ‘Birth of a Nation’ star Nate Parker and his refusal to apologize for his involvement in a 17-year-old rape case (that he was acquitted of), the historical film – which depicts the Nat Turner-led slave revolt of 1831 – bombed something fierce at the box office this past weekend.
Well, according to FOX executive Frank Rodriguez, that depends on how you define “bomb.”
For many-an-outlet the flick was deemed a flop because it was only able to drum up 7.1 million at the box office – an undoubtedly low sum considering FOX Searchlight acquired it during the Sundance Film Festival for a record-breaking $17.5 million deal.
Despite the expectations, Rodriguez asserts the studio is pleased with ‘Nation’s performance to date…
The picture pulled in an estimated $7.1 million in the U.S. and Canada, barely meeting analyst projections of $7 million to $9 million. The studio, which expected $7 million to $8 million going into the weekend, is happy with the debut, said Frank Rodriguez, Fox Searchlight’s senior vice president of domestic distribution.
“A ‘disappointment’ would’ve been if we came in with $5.8 million or $6.1 million,” he said, also noting that Hurricane Matthew in the Southeast closed a significant number of theaters where the film was expected to soar.
Time will ultimately be the deciding factor on how the film goes down in history books. Industry analysts are suggesting while its truest success could be on the DVD/Blu-Ray rental front, Golden Globe and Academy Award nods look slim.