The weekend at the box office was disappointingly slow, adding to ongoing concerns about Hollywood’s declining performance this year. According to Comscore, year-to-date ticket sales have dropped by almost 20% compared to the previous year.
Guy Ritchie’s latest film, “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” made a lackluster debut, landing in 4th place with earnings of barely $9 million from 2,845 theaters. Despite a reported production cost of $60 million and featuring stars like Henry Cavill and Alan Ritchson, the film struggled to attract a large audience.
Ritchie, known for hits like “Aladdin” and the Sherlock Holmes series, has faced challenges with recent releases such as “Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre” and “The Covenant.”
Despite its low box office performance, “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” received positive feedback from the few audience members who showed up, earning an A-minus CinemaScore.
The film’s promotions were likely overshadowed by controversial remarks made by Alan Ritchson, who stars in the TV series “Reacher.”
Ritchson recently criticized Christians who support former President Donald Trump, whom he called a “rapist,” and made inflammatory comments about law enforcement, saying they “get away with murder all the time,” and then called himself “courageous” for doing so when he got pushback from the Fraternal Order of Police. These statements have no doubt alienated a significant portion of the audience, affecting the film’s reception.
Now, in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, he also shared his disdain for James Bond, particularly how the fictional British spy treats women, suggesting that the entire franchise could stand to try a few different things.
“I love those larger-than-life, over-the-top action thrillers and spy movies and the heists that are smart and ahead of the audience. That’s really great, but I feel like Bond, to me personally — people are going to hate me for saying this — I love Bond, but I feel like it’s all a little misogynistic and predictable at this point.”
Ritchson’s bizarre decision to express controversial political views publicly, despite the potential backlash, could be seen as misguided.
By doing so, he risks isolating a large segment of his potential audience, ultimately undermining the film’s success. Instead of being perceived as noble, Ritchson’s actions may be viewed as foolish and lacking in discernment, ultimately harming his career prospects.
