The pretty-boy image of Channing Tatum may have gotten its first major box office blemish.
“White House Down,” Sony’s big-budget action film from helmer Roland Emmerich, starring Tatum and Jamie Foxx, failed to excite audiences this weekend, grossing just $25.7 million from 3,222 domestic locations. That’s a troubling start considering the film cost upwards of $150 million (not including worldwide marketing).
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But it’s an especially tough pill to swallow for Tatum, who has had a string of recent hits, including “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” “21 Jump Street,” “The Vow” and “Magic Mike.” In fact, every major studio film that Tatum has toplined since 2011 has gone on to gross more than $100 million at the domestic box office.
It seems “White House Down” may end that streak for the hunky star.
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In order for “White House Down” to reach nine figures (achieving an ambitious four-times multiple), the film will have to successfully maneuver through a competitive holiday period that’s already crowded with holdovers, not to mention new tentpoles — “The Lone Ranger” and “Despicable Me 2” — entering the market.
As an appropriate comparison, “Magic Mike,” which Tatum also produced, bowed this same frame last year, with $39 million. And while that film benefited from the “girls-night-out” mid-week phenomenon, it saw only a three-times multiple, grossing $113 million domestically. (That still was an awesome outcome for the $7 million film.)
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Surprisingly though, “White House Down” skewed only 51% male, with over-25 auds contributing 61% of the opening gross. Pic received a solid ‘A-‘ CinemaScore rating.
Prior to 2011, Tatum starred in “Dear John” with Amanda Seyfried. That film, which grossed more than $80 million domestically, helped jump start Tatum’s career as a leading male star. Yet, Tatum was unable to save Focus Features’ swords-and-sandals epic, “The Eagle,” from flopping with just $19 million Stateside.
Sony begins rolling out “White House Down” internationally starting mid-July in Russia.
