Claiming that Fox News is a “despicable force,” former ESPN sports personality Jemele Hill essentially announced that she is boycotting the recently released anti-Fox News movie, Bombshell.
On Thursday, Hill re-tweeted an article from the Hill, reporting that the Lionsgate release is a box office bomb. Despite spending over two weeks in theaters, the film has only just barely made back half of its estimated $33 million production costs.
But Hill said she refuses to go see the film:
“I wouldn’t see this movie if the fate of humanity depended on it,” Hill tweeted. “Pains me to say that because I love the three lead actresses. Fox News is a destructive, despicable force. Did they ever consider that the reputation of the network and Roger Ailes was too toxic?”
I wouldn’t see this movie if the fate of humanity depended on it. Pains me to say that because I love the three lead actresses. Fox News is a destructive, despicable force. Did they ever consider that the reputation of the network and Roger Ailes was too toxic? https://t.co/chYQ6K3lSo
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) January 2, 2020
It is not certain if Hill understands that Bombshell is a full-frontal attack on the integrity of Fox News founder Roger Ailes, and her tweet leaves doubt if she understands the nature of the film.
When taken to task by another Twitter follower for perhaps suggesting that the female former Fox anchors portrayed in the film (Gretchen Carlson and Megyn Kelly) might have had their alleged sexual harassment “coming,” Hill asserted that she was not saying that. However, incredibly, she did insinuate that Kelly and Carlson might have been racists.
I wasn’t saying that at all. However, I can’t help but note how at ease they seemed within a culture that also was horribly racist. https://t.co/LxOkoV1kjM
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) January 2, 2020
Still, Hill’s boycott won’t affect a film that is already struggling to attract an audience.
The film features big names such as Nicole Kidman, starring as former Fox News personality Gretchen Carlson, and Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly. The film also featured John Lithgow as Roger Ailes, and current “it” actress Margot Robbie.
Reviewers ahead of the film’s release loved the takedown of Ailes.
Critics celebrated Theron’s mimic as Megyn Kelly and even threw around the idea that she is an Oscar contender for the role.
Despite the star power, though, for its important opening weekend, Bombshell pulled in a paltry $15.6 million in ticket sales, not even half its estimated $33 million budget.
And this week, after twenty days in release, the film has only earned $19 million at the domestic box office, and a tiny $411,000 overseas. This marks the film as a crashing box office failure of near-epic proportions.
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