Ridley Scott’s Post Apocalyptic Thriller Officially Arrives on Digital After Box-Office Flop

A quick move to PVOD

Scott’s latest film is heading to PVOD several weeks after leaving theaters. It was released at the end of August and had largely finished its box-office run by mid-September.

The movie marks Scott’s return to science fiction, nearly a decade after Alien: Covenant. Steven Spielberg also recently returned to the genre with Disclosure Day, which fell short of box-office expectations, according to the article.

A costly production

The post-apocalyptic film stars Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin and had a production budget of around $100 million. Scott has previously made successful films in a similar budget range, including Gladiator, The Martian and Prometheus. The article contrasts those earlier successes with the performance of Scott’s recent releases, describing the new film as a sci-fi flop.

Scott’s box-office record

Scott has not had a bona fide hit since The Martian, released in 2015, which earned around $630 million worldwide. The article lists Exodus: Gods and Kings, All the Money in the World, Napoleon and The Last Duel among his high-profile misfires.

Gladiator II, his most expensive movie, reportedly cost more than $300 million. It was not successful enough to justify that budget and barely matched the original Gladiator’s performance, despite arriving a quarter-century later.