What Even Is a 'Box Office Flop' Anymore?

"Things used to be so simple. A movie opened in theaters, and if its total box office was lower than what it cost to make and market it, minus the half theaters took, we could easily call it a flop. It was dead in the water. Some were worse than that and were true bombs, though we're splitting hairs on the terminology here."

"This fall at the box office has been dismal, with title after title floundering. The New York Times estimated that, of 25 dramas and comedies released this fall, not one has surpassed $50 million at the domestic box office and can safely be called a "hit." "The Smashing Machine," " Christy," "Kiss of the Spider Woman," and "After the Hunt" all fit the bill, among others."

Films once had a clear theatrical success metric based on box office receipts after theaters took their share. Historical high-cost failures like Cleopatra, John Carter, Battlefield Earth, and Waterworld were widely labeled flops despite some generating substantial gross. Contemporary releases are earning far less at domestic box office, with many recent dramas and comedies failing to reach $50 million. Some action and franchise films have also underperformed. Studios now rely on extensive data and forecast revenue over seven to ten years rather than judging success solely on initial theatrical runs. Movies formerly followed a roughly 90-day theatrical window before home video marketing and release.

Read at IndieWire