For years now, Hollywood has been betting on ensemble films to earn big at the box office. In some cases, the gamble pays offs, just like in the case of Knives Out & other great ensemble cast movies. On the other hand, there are also times when the movie is good but becomes under-appreciated.
Indeed, having several actors in a movie doesn’t guarantee a hit. Although, when a filmmaker gets things right, the payoff can be huge.
Success: The Fate Of The Furious, $1,236,005,118
The Fate of the Furious is the eighth installment of the Fast and Furious franchise. Perhaps, one of the hidden details fans missed in the movie is that Diesel pays tribute to his late co-star, Paul Walker, in one scene.
As one may recall, The Fate of the Furious opens with Dom doing a street race with a local gangster in Cuba. And when he wins the race, Dom chooses not to take the guy’s car. Instead, he says, “Your respect is enough for me.” That’s something Walker’s Brian did to him back in the day.
Flop: Cats, $73,834,284
Unfortunately, this 2019 movie now has the unfortunate distinction of being one of the worst animal movies of all time. It is also recognized as one of the worst film adaptations of Broadway musicals today. Cats may have gotten several things wrong although we have to point out that its casting is still stellar.
Imagine a movie that features veteran actors Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Idris Elba, and Rebel Wilson alongside performers such as Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Swift, Jason Derulo, and James Corden. The movie had the potential to be great, but it bombed instead.
Success: Jurassic World, $1,670,400,637
Jurassic World is an ensemble movie that stems from Steven Spielberg's original Jurassic Park films. Instead of the original cast that includes Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Sam Neill though, this 2015 movie stars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Judy Greer, and BD Wong among others.
In some ways, fans argue that Jurassic World is better than the original trilogy, perhaps because it has better effects. That said, there are those who argue that the movies still got some things wrong, including the odd “Deep Blue Sea with dinosaurs” sequence, as some have come to call it.
Flop: Mother’s Day, $48,782,670
Hollywood is often fond of creating movies around holidays and other celebrated days. That’s why there are films with titles like Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve. Oftentimes, movies like this rely on a talented ensemble and the more recognizable the actors involved are, the better for the film.
Unfortunately for Mother’s Day, however, it failed despite the catchy celebration-oriented title and its all-star ensemble cast. It didn’t matter if this includes Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, and Oscar winner Julia Roberts. And in case anyone missed it, even Pretty Little Liars star Shay Mitchell is in the movie too.
Success: Avengers: Infinity War, $2,048,359,754
Avengers: Infinity War is one the most successful Marvel movies of all time. It marks the first time that the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings together all its superheroes from the various film it released over the years.
As expected, the movie stars Robert Downey, Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, and Jeremy Renner. But at the same time, it also features Chris Pratt, Paul Rudd, Zoe Saldana, Tom Holland, the late Chadwick Boseman, and many others. The result is a film with some of the funniest and most powerful quotes.
Flop: Love The Coopers, $42,426,912
Love the Coopers is an ensemble holiday comedy about a dysfunctional family coming together for the holidays. The Coopers are headed by Diane Keaton and John Goodman who play the parents.
Their family includes Olivia Wilde, Ed Helms, Marisa Tomei, and Alan Arkin. Meanwhile, the cast also includes Amanda Seyfried, Anthony Mackie, Jake Lacy, Timothée Chalamet, and Steve Martin who voices for Rags. Despite all this star power, critics were left unimpressed. The general consensus is that the movie is not funny, despite being a comedy.
Success: Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, $2,068,223,624
Before the MCU came to Disney, the company’s most successful franchise had been Star Wars. In 2015, it came out with Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, which introduces us to characters such as Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren, Daisy Ridley’s Rey, John Boyega’s Finn, and Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron.
Perhaps, one of the behind-the-scenes facts no one knew about The Force Awakens is that the film’s writer and director, J.J. Abrams, wasn’t exactly impressed with Ridley’s acting initially. While speaking with Glamour, Ridley revealed that Abrams called her performance “wooden.”
Flop: Movie 43, $32,438,988
This ensemble movie is being billed as one of the worst that anyone has seen in decades. That criticism may come as a surprise considering the talent that the project managed to attract. These include Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Chris Pratt, Anna Faris, Halle Berry, Live Schreiber, Naomi Watts, Elizabeth Banks, Josh Duhamel, Emma Stone, Kristen Bell, Jason Sudeikis, Uma Thurman, Justin Long, Richard Gere, Kate Bosworth, and Dennis Quaid.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jackman and Winslet were the first to shoot a short for the project. After that, the filmmakers got the green light to keep going.
Success: Avengers: Endgame, $2,797,800,564
Avengers: Endgame marks the closing of a chapter for the MCU. In the movie, the original six Avengers have the enormous task of trying to undo Thanos’ snap, which resulted in several other superheroes fading to dust. In the end, the movie featured at least five most surprising moments. More importantly, it also featured several things that even superfans were shocked by. These included the death of Johansson’s Black Widow after she chooses to sacrifice herself so that they could obtain the Soul Stone. In addition, fans were also shocked by Tony Stark’s death.
Flop: The Kitchen, $15,980,032
There's no one to blame if this movie seems unfamiliar to just about anyone. It’s lack of success probably means it’s too easy to forget. Based on a comic book series, this 2019 movie stars Melissa McCarthy, Elizabeth Moss, and Tiffany Haddish as wives of gangsters in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen back in the 1970s.
The women are also joined by Margo Martindale, Domhnall Gleeson, and Common. According to Collider, the movie was only shot in 38 days, and perhaps, its frantic pace of filming resulted in something underwhelming.