Summer 2023 has winded down and it was filled with big highs and lows. Perhaps the most surprising low is Missing Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One, which bombed upon release. The seventh entry in the Tom Cruise series didn’t impress much on the opening weekend as it only garnered $56.2 million domestically for the three-day weekend. It’s not the worst opening numbers for a nationwide release for the Mission Impossible series, but the final worldwide total was a shocking setback for the long-running franchise.
It’s quite strange since the series has been critically acclaimed since its return in 2011. Plus, Tom Cruise is coming off Top Gun: Maverick, which was the second highest-grossing film of 2022. Despite some controversies early in his career, the Oscar nominee is one of the few box-office stars of the current generation. Given the positive reception of Dead Reckoning, why did Mission Impossible fail to even come close to matching the heights that Fallout did?
Audiences Are Tired Of Sequels
The only sequel to truly do well this summer is Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 could be lumped into that conversation as it made a strong $845 worldwide. However, Vol. 2 made $869 million worldwide. Even though Vol. 3 is far from a flop, it’s box office was notably down. Simply put, fans are tired of sequels, reboots, and spin-offs.
Granted, sequels, reboots, and spin-offs are nothing new as Hollywood has been doing this for decades. The core issue is that it’s dominating the current generation without much diversity that allows for original content. When you take a look at the top-grossing films of 2023, the only ones that made it past the billion-dollar mark were original films – Barbie and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. No sequels even came close to matching the worldwide gross of Oppenheimer, another original film.
The current market for films is dying for new media. This past summer proved that blockbusters can’t simply rule the box office by themselves. It’s quite telling that the only billion films in 2023 are Barbie and The Super Mario Bros, two original films that have managed to get moviegoers excited to purchase a ticket.
Barbenheimer
Speaking of original content, Barbenheimer took over the summer. Usually, Christopher Nolan films do well at the box office, so it’s not a surprise that Oppenheimer was a hit. However, Barbie was a wildcard, but as the release dates for each film came closer, the hype for both movies unexpectedly became huge. The biggest thing Barbie and Oppenheimer had going for them was that they were original films from talented filmmakers.
Add in the positive reception from critics and strong advertisement, Barbenheimer became an unexpected event that the mainstream hyped up big time. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One‘s box office was caught in the crossfire. The film has glowing reviews, but it got sucked up in the hype for Barbenheimer. Dead Reckoning Part One would’ve done better had it not been for the two-picture event, though it’s doubtful it would’ve reached the billion-dollar mark as the opening weekend numbers weren’t anything to rave about. Barbie and Oppenheimer are a small reason audiences weren’t invested in Ethan Hunt’s latest mission, but there’s no denying the dominance of these two movies during the late summer period.
The Over Abundance Of Action Certainly Didn’t Help
2023 was jam-packed with action! It goes back to the overreliance on blockbusters. Despite the incredible action and good story, everything feels the same when the market has been flooded with similar content. Fast X, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, The Flash, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, John Wick: Chapter 4, and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania are the biggest films that came out early in 2023.
It’s quite hard for Mission Impossible to stand out when there’s so much similar content in the market. Granted, you can easily separate these films from one another, but the main purpose of a blockbuster is to target the mainstream audience. Want over-the-top and insane action? Fast X, Indiana Jones, and Transformers had you covered? Want to watch your favorite hero deal with another villain who’s trying to kill them or wipe out humanity? Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, John Wick, and Guardians had those boxes checked.
The formula for these established IPs mostly played the safe game because the ultimate purpose is to recoup the massive production tag that these films carry. When you pick apart the reasons that Dead Reckoning wasn’t a commercial success then you’ll realize that it’s not surprising that it turned out to be a financial flop. It’s a shame as it’s a top-notch film that demanded to be seen on the big screen.
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