How Much Money Mickey 17 Will Lose At The Box Office

Sad to say, but "Mickey 17" is going to lose a boatload of cash for Warner Bros. The latest from Oscar-winning director Bong Joon Ho (of "Parasite" fame) had long been delayed and finally hit theaters earlier this month. Unfortunately, the results at the box office were not what anyone had hoped for. Now, WB is about to take a serious loss on the film during its theatrical run. In fact, the losses are steep enough that making up the revenue on VOD and streaming down the line is going to be a serious challenge.

According to Variety, "Mickey 17" is now projected to lose between $75 and $80 million during its theatrical run. It carries a sizable $118 million price tag, which is an awful lot for a non-franchise film these days. "Mickey 17" flopped in its debut, pulling in just $19 million domestically earlier this month. That, unfortunately, set the tone for the remainder of the movie's box office performance. Even overseas markets have only been so helpful, with the movie having earned just over $92 million globally (including nearly $36 million from North America).

Variety's report notes that a source disputed these potential losses, but those numbers seem right in line with the math, if not a little generous. The break-even point at the box office for the film was pegged at around $300 million worldwide. But even that seems generous, given that Warner Bros. reportedly spent around $80 million on marketing (with theaters generally keeping around half of the money from box office sales). The movie is now expected to finish its theatrical run with less than $150 million worldwide. To put it lightly, this is not what any studio wants from a big-budget release, but it's especially one that WB can ill-afford right now.

Warner Bros. Discovery has been in a not-so-great financial situation for the last few years, going back to when Discovery purchased Warner Bros. in the first place. It's also been a tumultuous ride ever since the pandemic began five years ago. WB pissed off just about every actor and director in town with "Project Popcorn," which sent the studio's entire 2021 movie slate to theaters and HBO Max (now just Max) on the same day.

To help smooth things over, the studio has had to make some very filmmaker-friendly deals. Part of that was offering Bong Joon Ho a blank check, basically, to make his film of choice after "Parasite" won Best Picture at the Oscars. Should a guy like Ho be able to make what he wants? Yes, but it's still hard to argue this was a solid financial move.

Warner Bros. has also suffered other high-profile flops recently. Last year's "Joker: Folie à Deux" was a financial catastrophe, one that apparently pissed off Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav something fierce. With other risky movies on the slate in 2025, including Paul Thomas Anderson's very expensive picture with Leonardo DiCaprio (now confirmed to be titled "One Battle After Another"), the studio needs some wins. This wasn't one of them.

In the end, "Mickey 17" became a victim of moviegoing in the pandemic era. Selling audiences on something not tied to a major franchise that isn't a horror movie feels almost impossible. We're five years removed from when theaters were forced to close their doors and, after they opened them again, the box office never fully recovered. Despite having a big star in Robert Pattinson surrounded by a killer cast and an Oscar-winning director at the helm, this inventive sci-fi flick didn't make half of what it needed to make to be considered even a modest success. That's a shame, but it's also just the way it is right now. Hopefully not forever, but who knows? 

"Mickey 17" is currently playing in theaters.