Soderbergh’s Starry ‘Black Bag’ Dismal $7.5 Million Opening Is Hollywood’s IP Dilemma | Analysis – TheWrap
Michael Fassbender stars as George Woodhouse in director Steven Soderbergh's BLACK BAG, a Focus Features release. Credit: Claudette Barius/Focus Features © 2025 All Rights Reserved.
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Whether it’s “Novocaine,” “Mickey 17” or the “Ocean’s” director’s latest, audiences are slow to show up for original filmsA critically praised Steven Soderbergh spy thriller might have been an easy sell to moviegoers even a decade ago. But the dismal $7.5 million opening of Focus Features’ “Black Bag” shows the chicken-and-egg problem that Hollywood faces when it comes to building audiences for movies that don’t have a well-known IP attached.“Most of the films that are in theaters right now are getting great reviews, but it is still a challenge to get moviegoers to give them a chance with their hard-earned dollars,” said Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian. “It’s something that has been going on for a while, as the audiences have shown that they want certainty with the dominance of tried-and-true franchises even as some have decried the lack of originality.”
Source: https://www.thewrap.com/black-bag-mickey-17-original-films-struggle-box-office-why/
