Not many are talking about “The Magic Faraway Tree,” starring Andrew Garfield, which is really struggling at the box office—a fantasy adventure that just had the one of the weakest wide-release openings this decade.
The numbers are brutal. The film earned only $1.3M this past weekend, for a per-theater average of $806. That’s enough for 11th place, it was even bested by “The Fast and the Furious” re-release, and “Spa Weekend.”
Based on Enid Blyton’s classic British children’s book series, the film is written by Simon Farnaby (“Paddington 2”) and directed by Ben Gregor. The cast includes Garfield alongside Rebecca Ferguson, Nicola Coughlan, Nonso Anozie, Jennifer Saunders, Jessica Gunning, and Claire Foy.
The film was released in the U.K. on March 27, where it earned around $30M. Here’s the problem: the budget for “The Magic Faraway Tree” is $80M.
“The Magic Faraway Tree” follows a family who move to the countryside and discover an enormous enchanted tree leading to ever-changing magical worlds. As the children explore the tree and its strange inhabitants, their family is pulled into a series of fantastical adventures.
The reviews have actually been decent—79% on Rotten Tomatoes—but there’s barely been any marketing surrounding this film, which is what you get with Vertical. It’s a genuinely baffling theatrical rollout for an $80M family fantasy starring Garfield, and the film now faces major losses.
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