Hypnotic has become Ben Affleck’s second box office flop in as many months. The new film, which is the latest outing for director Robert Rodriguez, stars Affleck as Danny Rourke, an Austin-based detective who is on the tail of a mysterious criminal who appears to have the ability to control minds. The cast of the film, which opened in theaters this weekend, also includes Alice Braga, Jeff Fahey, Jackie Earle Haley, and William Fichtner.
Per Deadline, despite the intriguing Hypnotic cast, the film is projected to turn out a dreadful opening weekend at the domestic box office. Despite coming with a production budget of $70 million, the film is only projected to earn $2.5 million by the end of Sunday. This will make the film Affleck’s second box office flop in a row after this April’s AIr made $85.5 million off a budget of around $90 million.
Ben Affleck is Having a Very Weird Year
Air is a movie that can’t necessarily be considered a bomb because, despite failing to make its budget back, it was originally intended to be a Prime Video exclusive. Because of that, the advertising budget was already factored into the film’s eventual streaming run, so any box office gross it makes can be considered pure profit by Amazon Studios. The same cannot be said for Hypnotic, however.
This complicated situation has put Affleck’s career in a place that makes his 2023 success difficult to gauge. In order to get back on track, he will need his next film to be a hit. This could be easy, as he has another blockbuster tentpole coming out next month on June 16.
However, that Hypnotic follow-up will be the DC Universe outing The Flash, which has been embroiled in controversy due to the reported criminal actions of its star Ezra Miller. The previous DC films Black Adam and Shazam! Fury of the Gods have both been box office disappointments, an issue that could potentially plague The Flash as well. However, the film is intended to kickstart the new branch of the franchise overseen by James Gunn and Peter Safran, which could boost its profile and give Affleck the cut-and-dry hit he needs in 2023.
Source: Deadline