Dennis Quaid’sReaganjust reached an important milestone at the box office. Telling the true story of President Ronald Reagan’s life, the movie explores his life from his childhood and through his later years. Alongside leading star Quaid, Penelope Ann Miller also starred as Nancy Reagan. Despite a high audience score on Rotten Tomatoes that saw a 98% total,Reaganhas proven divisive for critics, having settled with a 17% Tomatometer score.
According to a weekend box office report byDeadline,Reaganhas officially crossed the $25 million milestone. Thanks to a weekend take of $1.9 million,it now has $26.7 million through its fourth week. The budget was $25 million, which makes the domestic box office well past that mark. This weekend’s take represents a 33% drop from last week, but it is still a respectable draw for week 4.
What Reagan’s Box Office Milestone Means
ReaganWill Still Struggle To Make A Profit
Earning back a movie’s budget is important, but it is not necessarily a gauge for success. When considering marketing costs and the cuts that theaters require, a movie generally needs to make at least twice the overall budget to make a profit. ForReagan, that would mean at least $50-60 million to see a profit. As it is currently in week 4,Quaid’s biopic is unlikely to achieve success at the box office. The chart below showcases the general trend ofReagan’s financial progress:
$25 million
$7.65 million
$26.7 million through week 4
Themovie is also not gaining much steam internationally, having only made just over $9,000. Therefore, much of the box office will rely on the domestic numbers, which makes sense since the movie is catered to a more American audience. Even if the movie can’t reach the break-even point, there is still some hope through streaming. Currently,Reagan’s streaming datehas not yet been announced.
Our Take On Reagan’s Box Office Milestone
Reagan’s Limitations Surpassed Its Budget
The movie surpassed expectations in its early weeks, butit is now facing the consequences of an enormous budget. The movie inherently has a limited audience, giventhat Ronald Reagan remains a controversial president. As the movie elected to pander to his supporters, his critics elected to skip the biopic entirely. Its story also means that there is little draw for international audiences, limiting it tremendously. Thus, the limited audience won’t helpReaganto reach its commercial potential.
Reagan
Cast
Reagon follows the life of the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan, from his time as a young boy through his tenure in the Oval Office.
