HaveUHeard

Star-studded crime comedy Amsterdam boasts one of the most impressive casts in Hollywood history – yet even its A-list line-up of actors hasn’t been able to save it from bombing at the box office, with experts now predicting that the movie is set to lose up to $100 million, following a disastrous opening weekend that saw viewers panning the flick as ‘boring’ and ‘terrible’. 

The David O. Russell–directed comedy thriller only earned a disappointing $6.4 million during its October 7–9 opening weekend, according to financial analysts who spoke to The Hollywood Reporter, even though initial estimates had it debuting somewhere between $10 to $20 million.

Amsterdam’s dismal box office performance is all the more disappointing given its all-star cast list, which boasts some of the biggest and brightest names in the industry, including Robert De Niro, Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, Taylor Swift, Anya Taylor-Joy, Zoe Saldana, Andrea Riseborough, Chris Rock, and Rami Malek. 

Yet even that combined star power – as well as the previous box office success of Oscar-nominated director O. Russell – could not win over audiences, who have slammed the movie as ‘boring’ and ‘terrible’, with several viewers complaining that the film’s plotline was so unbearable, they ended up walking out of the flick before it had finished. 

Amsterdam appears to have been banking so much on the cast’s star power to aid in its marketing that the trailer even emphasized the number of A-list actors featured, while some of its print advertising merely featured a long list of the cast rather than images representing the film. 

But according to viewers, much of the talent featured in the movie was ‘wasted’ on a ‘boring’ script, with one social media user saying of the movie: ‘Amsterdam is so bad and boring. Such a good cast [though], what a waste.’

Star-studded crime comedy Amsterdam is set to lose up to $100 million after a dismal opening weekend – despite an all-star cast of actors like Christian Bale (left), Margot Robbie (center), Taylor Swift, and John David Washington (right)

To add insult to injury, in addition to Amsterdam’s estimated $80 million production budget, it is estimated that its production company New Regency spent between $70 million and $80 million on its global marketing campaign.

The Hollywood Reporter notes that the movie was given a wide release in over 3,000 theaters by Disney and New Regency, which was previously a production company within 20th Century Fox, before being absorbed when Disney bought the iconic film studio. 

But while the movie was widely available to viewers, the negative critical reviews of the flick – combined with the dismal response from audiences on social media – seem to have turned away potential spectators, with several Twitter users warning others to ‘save their money’. 

‘We went to see Amsterdam today,’ wrote one person. ‘What a load of boring c**p. The cast was phenomenal for such a boring script. Save yourself admission and nap in your chair at home.’  

Amsterdam’s tortuous storyline is inspired by the Business Plot, in which wealthy businessmen in the US allegedly plotted to stage a coup against the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1934. Bale and Washington play two former World War I soldiers who move to Amsterdam for years with their nurse (Robbie), before returning to the US in the 1930s. 

The trio are reunited when they investigate the suspicious death of a senator. After discovering a plot to remove Roosevelt from power, they are framed for a murder while they try to prevent the coup, which has attracted a former military leader (De Niro) as its intended leader.

According to financing sources, the movie’s estimated $80–$100 million box office loss is due – at least in part – to a lack of interest from older viewers, who the film was being targeted at.

According to viewers, much of the talent featured in the movie was ‘wasted’ on a ‘boring’ script, with one social media user saying of the movie: ‘Amsterdam is so bad and boring. Such a good cast [though], what a waste’

Thumbs down: Amsterdam currently has a 35 per cent rotten rating from critics at the most prestigious publications, as surveyed by Rotten Tomatoes; Anya Taylor–Joy, Rami Malek, Bale, Robbie and Robert De Niro seen in Amsterdam

Amsterdam was also not well received by critics. It currently boasts a disappointing 35 per cent rotten rating from critics at the most prestigious publications, as surveyed by Rotten Tomatoes. 

Strong reviews might have expanded the movie’s audience, but older viewers were seen as more dependable, even with a lackluster critical response.

‘Simultaneously overstuffed and undernourished, frantic and meandering, Amsterdam is one big, star-studded, hot mess of a movie,’ wrote Christy Lemire, a critic for RogerEbert.com. 

Amsterdam was also expected to open somewhere between $10–$20 million, but projections shifted downward after the bad reviews started coming in. 

The outlet noted that older adults have slowed the moviegoing in recent years, even predating the coronavirus pandemic, and films intended for older audiences have increasingly been released exclusively on streaming services. 

According to THR, New Regency was completely on the hook for Amsterdam’s $80 million budget, and it also carried its $70 million global advertising campaign, though some sources claimed closer to $80 million was spent.

‘This is a high-risk movie that is based entirely on execution. Why would they try to thread this needle at this price?’ mused one source.

Other sources claimed the crime comedy wasn’t always going to be such an expensive proposition.

According to them, it was originally budgeted at $50 million and set to film in Boston, but it was moved to Los Angeles shortly before it was set to begin production due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which added tens of millions to the budget.

It didn’t help that the starting of production was also delayed, which likely added additional costs to the film’s budget.

Pricy: The production company New Regency is on the hook for Amsterdam’s $80 million budget and $70–$80 million in advertising globally; still from Amsterdam

On social media, viewers have panned the movie’s ‘boring’ plotline, complaining that the cast was ‘wasted’ on the script 

The outlet added that the star-studded movie might now be on track to only earn $18 million domestically, with an estimated global total of somewhere south of $40 million.

It is not clear how much the all-star cast was paid for the film, though many of the actors may have lowered their usual fees in order to work with Russell.

The film follows the characters of Bale and Washington as they witness a murder and then are framed for the crime. 

Set in 1930s New York, the men set out to uncover the truth behind the mystery. Throughout the film, flashbacks showcase the men’s time in Amsterdam and their memories of the nurse who cared for them during the war. 

While on the run for the crime they didn’t commit, the motley crew uncovers an even more sinister plot at play. 

Although it likely played a small part in the film’s failure, Russell has faced numerous controversies around his behavior on his film sets and with his own family.

He reportedly came to blows with Three Kings star George Clooney when the actor ordered him to stop verbally abusing crew members on the war film, and he was also recorded berating Lily Tomlin on the set of I Heart Huckabees, while Amy Adams later confirmed email leaks indicating that she had a brutal time film American Hustle.

Russell’s transgender niece also accused the filmmaker of fondling her breasts after inquiring about what hormones she was taking. Authorities ultimately decided not to charge Russell, who defended himself to police by saying his niece was ‘acting very provocative toward him.’

However, the director’s on- and off-set controversies aren’t well known among the general public, suggesting they were a minimal factor in Amsterdam’s failure. 

Although the losses are bad news for New Regency, the production company has had award-winning hits in the past, including Leonardo DiCaprio’s survivalist drama The Revenant, which won him his Oscar, as well as Greta Gerwig’s beloved adaptation of Little Women and the Oscar winner Bohemian Rhapsody.

Even as it has a major bomb on its hands with Amsterdam, New Regency still has another relative hit on its hands with the critically acclaimed horror film Barbarian.

That film had a budget of only $4 million, but it has so far earned close to $40 million globally. 

Modest factor: Director David O. Russell (L) has also been accused of sexual abuse by his transgender niece and has had on-set confrontations with George Clooney, Lily Tomlin and Amy Adams, but those incidents are not well known by the general public; seen September 27

Helping out: New Regency was somewhat buoyed by its horror hit Barbarian, which has earned almost $40 million globally from a $4 million budget; Bale, Robbie, Andrea Riseborough and Malek seen September 21 in London