Dwayne Johnson's Skyscraper Was A Box Office Bust, But Is It Better Than You Remember?
There was a point not all that long ago when Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's star power was shining so bright that it truly felt like he could do no wrong. The WWE star had successfully gone from one of the most popular professional wrestlers ever to one of the biggest actors in the world. And in 2018, that fame caught up with him a bit when "Skyscraper" became a bit of a bust at the box office, largely because the movie tried to be as big as its star when the story at hand didn't really call for it. Now, five years later, it's tearing up the charts on Netflix's top 10.
For those who may need a refresher, "Skyscraper" was directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber ("We're the Millers") and was picked up by Universal Pictures. It's kind of a riff on "Die Hard" with a "bad guys show up at a bad building with bad intentions and one man must save the day" concept. But a concept like that doesn't necessarily call for a $125 million budget, which is getting into superhero movie territory. That said, The Rock is a big star, and that warranted a big budget.
Unfortunately for all involved, the film was released right in the heart of a busy summer moviegoing season and kind of got buried by other, bigger hits. "Skyscraper" wasn't exactly a flop, though it sure as heck wasn't the hit the studio was looking for. It's also very likely the reason why Johnson and Thurber's "Red Notice" went to Netflix and didn't stay at Universal. Somewhat ironically, Netflix is now benefiting from a Johnson/Thurber collaboration again as people are giving "Skyscraper" a second chance on the service.
The box office
"Skyscraper" hit theaters in July 2018. It's worth noting that Dwayne Johnson had just starred in "Rampage," the adaptation of the popular arcade game of the same name, which hit theaters in April that same year and was one of the most successful video game movies ever. So audiences had just had a big dose of The Rock. "Skyscraper" was also up against "Hotel Transylvania 3" at the box office, along with "Ant-Man and the Wasp" in its second weekend. Plus, "The Equalizer 2" and "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" were just around the corner. All big hits and, as such, big problems for "Skyscraper."
Rawson Marshall Thurber's film was a disaster domestically, only grossing a mere $64.8 million during its entire run in theaters (including an opening weekend just shy of $25 million). Internationally, though, it did quite well, taking in $236.4 million and giving it a grand total of $304.8 million. For an original action movie, that feels like a damn decent final number. However, its budget made things harder when it came to turning a profit. Universal probably got into the black eventually, but the theatrical run alone didn't cut it.
As such, "Skyscraper" went down as a misfire for Johnson, who moved right along to making hits such as "Hobbs & Shaw" and "Jumanji: The Next Level." He was fine but "Skyscraper" ended up in the pile of largely forgotten star-driven movies that underperformed. Although, these Netflix numbers suggest it might be worth a second look, and, for my two cents, I would agree with that sentiment.
A movie too big for its own good
Ultimately, it feels like all involved over-invested in this movie a bit. It's understandable given that, at the time, Dwayne Johnson was arguably at the apex of his superstardom. So putting him in a "Die Hard" riff seemed like a good idea. But an action movie without a major franchise hook (in a year filled with giant franchise films) only goes so far. Even if the film had cost, say, $90 million instead of $125 million, it probably would have been considered a pretty solid success. $300 million worldwide is nothing to sneeze at, particularly looking at it through a post-2020 lens.
That's really the shame of it because, as these things go, "Skyscraper" is a solid summer action flick. Throughout the '90s there were more "Die Hard" rip-offs than one could possibly count or keep track of. Yet, this particular blockbuster is one of the more successful homages to what is arguably the greatest action movie ever made. Is it anywhere near as good? Of course not, but few things are. For fans of this brand of cinematic entertainment, there is much to like here. Not the least of which is Johnson, who actually delivers a really solid performance.
We're used to seeing The Rock do his action-hero thing, and he certainly does that here with his signature charm. But he's actually playing a character with some depth who isn't invincible. He saves the day with a prosthetic leg! Credit where credit's due, that's impressive. It's a better vehicle for Johnson to showcase his actual acting skills than many of his other "action for action's sake" movies. It's the kind of role that reminds us why he is the most successful man to ever make the transition from wrestler to actor.
Skyscraper deserves another look
I grant you, the villains in "Skyscraper" aren't nearly as memorable as those in other classic action flicks, but they can't all be Darth Vader. Sometimes you just need bad guys for a hulking action star to take out. But the supporting cast is well worth the price of admission. Neve Campbell, in particular, gets a strong showcase here, which is quite nice to see. For whatever reason, Campbell just doesn't get all that much high-profile work outside of the "Scream" franchise (and, even then, not always). Rather wisely, though, Rawson Marshall Thurber did right by her.
Beyond that, it's amazing how much can change in just five years. In 2018, "Skyscraper" just seemed like the kind of movie that would come along every summer: big star, big budget, big action. Unfortunately, the pandemic changed moviegoing habits so much that the only place an original action film like this, of a certain scale, can exist is on a streaming service like Netflix. But even the streamers are tightening their purse strings, so they will be fewer and further between.
We, perhaps, took for granted a solid, studio-produced action film divorced from a major franchise back in 2018. Now? "Skyscraper" almost begins to feel nostalgic. It's certainly not "John Wick" — it may not even be "Taken" — but it is the sort of efficient studio movie that simply does what it sets out to do and makes for tasty junk food. It's not a meal you'll really remember, but damned if it doesn't taste good while you're eating it.
"Skyscraper" is currently streaming on Netflix.