Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible 7 Narrowly Escapes Worst Ever Record in Franchise Despite Rave Reviews With 94% Rating

Tom Cruise’s latest Mission: Impossible escapade is thrilling critics, but falling short at the box office. Mission: Impossible 7 – Dead Reckoning Part One earned rave reviews with a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score, yet posted the second-lowest opening weekend in the franchise’s history. While avoiding being a complete disaster, the underwhelming debut raises concerns.

Tom Cruise’s Movie Faces A Domestic Letdown

Mission: Impossible 7 arrived in theaters on July 12 and was expected to reinvigorate the box office after a slow start. It is said to be released on the various OTT platforms this September. But the $58.1 million haul fell far below projections. It’s a massive drop from Mission: Impossible – Fallout’s $61.2 million opening in 2018.

Overseas, Mission: Impossible 7 amassed $95.5 million for a moderate $153.5 million global debut. But with a reported $290 million budget, the spy thriller needs to gross over $500 million to break even. Its muted start makes reaching profitability an uphill battle.

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Why Didn’t Audiences Turn Up?

Paramount Pictures hoped Tom Cruise’s death-defying stuntwork displayed in the marketing would attract crowds. But Mission: Impossible fatigue may be setting in after six films in 26 years. Audiences are familiar with Ethan Hunt’s impossible missions and may have felt they’ve seen it all before.

The 2-hour 41-minute runtime likely deterred casual moviegoers as well. With so much great content on streaming, people are becoming more selective about committing time to lengthy blockbusters in theaters.

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Can A Word-of-Mouth Save Mission: Impossible 7?

Despite the slow start, Paramount believes Mission: Impossible 7 can still find its footing. Thanks to glowing reviews, the sequel scored an “A-“ CinemaScore indicating strong audience word-of-mouth. If that translates into repeat viewings, totals could build steadily.

Major markets like China and Japan have yet to open too, so there are still significant box office dollars on the table. Given Cruise’s enduring global popularity, Mission: Impossible 7 should be able to minimize any losses, even if it falls short of sky-high expectations.

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But for the once-invincible franchise, this lackluster reception is a worrying sign of a downturn ahead of the eighth film hitting theaters next year.

Sources: CBR , LiveMint, The Direct