‘Bridge of Spies’: Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Critical Acclaim Can No Longer Open a Movie

AP Photo/CZAREK SOKOLOWSKI
AP Photo/CZAREK SOKOLOWSKI

Steven Spielberg directed Tom Hanks in a critically acclaimed film that grossed only $15.3 million its opening weekend.

Think about that.

How is that even possible? We’re not in the middle of June, the fanboy summer season. This is October, the month of the Oscar-bait and the grown up film.

“Bridge of Spies” opened in a whopping 2811 theatres and earned an equally whopping 92% fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes. The reviews weren’t just good, they were glowing. And rightly so. “Bridge of Spies” is terrific, Spielberg’s best in decades. And yet, it bottomed out at $15 million.

The last time Hanks and Spielberg teamed up was in 2004 for the dreadful “Terminal.” A full eleven years ago, that so-called comedy opened to terrible reviews and still opened to $19 million.

Other than fanboy spectacle and those awful festival films Hollywood makes for themselves, the film business is coming to an end.

 

Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC               

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