The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfarehas been gaining strong reviews forGuy Ritchie, but could also be setting itself to be his third straight box office disappointment. The World War II movie sees Henry Cavill joined byReacher’s Alan Ritchson and Eiza González, but it seems that the star power of the movie has only been enough to put the filmin fourth place this weekend. The film made just over $9 million, which,according to some, means it overperformed. Still, it’s surprising to see a star-studded film (with Henry Cavill, no less) come in fourth.
Up againstthe controversial dystopian movieCivil War, Universal’s vampire horrorAbigail, and the still-performingGodzilla x Kongsequel, the film unfortunately couldn’t land in the top three. One thing that has not helpedThe Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’s mission is the decision to follow in the footsteps of several previous Guy Ritchie movies andnot have a U.K. theatrical release (and this time, not have a Canadian theatrical run as well). This potentially makes the film the director’s third commercial disappointment, following the well-reviewedThe CovenantandOperation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, though it could become a successful streaming title that also happens to make some money.
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Based on Damien Lewis' bookChurchill’s Secret Warriors, the film explores the formation of a covert British commando unit during the war. While critics have been mostly positive about the movie, and audiences have almost unanimously praised it – generating a 95% audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes – its box office performance has not made much of a dent in the $60 million budget.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a World War II film following a top-secret combat unit who were formed by Winston Churchill to hunt down Nazis. The film is directed by Guy Ritchie and based on the book The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: How Churchill’s Secret Warriors Set Europe Ablaze and Gave Birth to Modern Black Ops by Damien Lewis.
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This box office debut is particularly disappointing for Cavill, who just can’t seem to catch a break since departing the role of Superman, andThe Witcher’s Geralt.The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfarecould still prove its mettle in the coming weeks, but for now it appears to be heading in thesame direction as his previous release,Argylle. The Matthew Vaughn spy comedy struggled to a total haul of $96 million, which was well short of the $200 million pumped into the release’s budget. However,Argyllehas become a streaming hit, which may foreshadow the future ofThe Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.
Ritchie and Cavill are set to collaborate againon the upcoming 2025 action filmIn the Grey. This project could end up being a big movie for both parties to try and prove that they can deliver the box office they are capable of. This is something only time will tell.
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Henry Cavill has certainly been branching out into several different types of movie in the last couple of years, but it seems that his future projects will mostly see him returning to the fantasy fare that proved to be so popular during his time onThe Witcher. This will includetaking the lead in a reboot of theHighlanderfranchise, and bringing another ofhis much-loved passion projects to life withWarhammer 40K.
However, one role that Cavill will probably not be getting the chance of is the one that many fans have wanted to see him take on – James Bond. Although there has been no casting decision made about Daniel Craig’s replacement in the Bond franchise, andCavill continues to be a popular choice, it is more likely that a younger actor is being eyed up to continue the 60-year-old franchise into a new generation.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfareis currently playing in US cinemas.
