Why Henry Cavill’s New Movie Has Performed Worse At The Box Office Than His $96M Bomb From 2 Months Ago

Summary

• Henry Cavill’s latest film, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, falls short at the box office, continuing a trend of financial underperformance.
• Despite critical acclaim, Guy Ritchie’s film struggles to attract moviegoers, earning just $16 million globally against a $60 million budget.
• The limited release and strong competition contribute to the film’s poor performance compared to Argylle, marking it as a certified flop in Cavill’s career.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare just became the second Henry Cavill movie of the year to fall short of box office expectations. Directed by Guy Ritchie, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’s true story follows a group of elite soldiers tasked with carrying out a highly dangerous mission during World War II. Despite being one of Guy Ritchie’s best movies to date in terms of critical response, the film has struggled to attract the attention of moviegoers. So much so that it’s performed worse than another Henry Cavill-starring flop from earlier this year.

Since the conclusion of the DCEU, Cavill has struggled to find a suitable franchise replacement, with The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare being simply the latest entry in the British actor’s filmography to underperform financially. Cavill has several exciting projects on the horizon and is one of the favorites to play the next James Bond. Nevertheless, the poor performance of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, as well as another of Cavill’s films from two months ago, point to a concerning trend in the actor’s career.

The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare’s Box Office Compared To Argylle

Neither Movie Has Been A Financial Success

Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle was released in February 2024 and, despite the attachment of a popular director and an ensemble cast that includes Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas-Howard, Sam Rockwell, Dua Lipa, and Bryan Cranston, among others, the movie proved to be a box office failure. Argylle ended its theatrical run with a worldwide box office total of just over $96 million (via Box Office Mojo), less than half of the film’s $200 million budget. In recent weeks, Argylle has become a streaming hit, and thanks to The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’s dire performance, Argylle‘s financial fortunes don’t seem as bad in hindsight.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare has so far made just under $16 million globally, with 97% of its earnings coming from North America alone. It’s a disappointing sum of money, especially when the movie’s $60 million production budget is factored in. Though The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is still showing in cinemas, its total earnings are unlikely to increase by much. After all, the film finished sixth at the domestic box office in only its second weekend, and with greater competition on the horizon, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is already a certified flop.

Why The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare Performed Worse Than Argylle

There Are Many Factors At Play

Though The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare and Argylle share a lot in common – they’re both Henry Cavill-starring spy comedies directed by men who started their early film careers together – different factors had a hand in their respective failures. For starters, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare received a far more limited release than Argylle. Currently, the movie has only really been released theatrically in North America, whereas elsewhere it will be available to stream on Prime Video at a later date. In contrast, Argylle was released in theaters worldwide.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
is Guy Ritchie’s third movie release in just over a year.

While The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare‘s lack of a theatrical release internationally is one explanation for the film’s poor performance, it’s not the only explanation. The movie experienced competition in its first three weekends from the likes of Civil War, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Abigail, and Challengers, some of which exceeded their initial projections. Argylle, by comparison, had little in the way of competition during its first few weekends. Add to that a less well-known cast and a smaller marketing campaign, and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare was always going to be the less successful of the two.

Is Henry Cavill’s Box Office Streak A Concern For His Future Movies?

The Actor Has A String Of Titles Currently In The Works

Owing to his role as Superman in the DCEU, Henry Cavill is something of a household name. However, just because an actor is well-known, doesn’t make them bankable, as Cavill’s recent releases have demonstrated. This is slightly worrying for the star’s future movies. Cavill’s next project is an action film called In the Grey, which will also be directed by Guy Ritchie. Given the poor performance of the pair’s most recent collaboration, the film’s prospects of being a hit look unlikely.

Meanwhile, Cavill is set to star as the lead in Chad Stahelski’s Highlander reboot, which is currently in the early stages of development. Lionsgate, the studio behind the upcoming movie, will be banking on Cavill to draw in new, younger audiences unfamiliar with the original Highlander films. They may even be hoping that the film will be the first installment in the next popular fantasy franchise. However, if Cavill’s disappointing box office trend continues, these plans will likely be squandered.

Additionally, as Cavill’s bankability is questioned more and more with each passing flop, his chances of taking over the much-coveted James Bond role surely dwindle.

Additionally, as Cavill’s bankability is questioned more and more with each passing flop, his chances of taking over the highly coveted James Bond role surely dwindle. While a high-profile star isn’t as important to the 007 franchise as something like Highlander, given the former’s established mainstream popularity, the series still needs a star that it can rely on to attract audiences. By becoming hits, Into the Grey and Highlander can prove that despite what went wrong with The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare and Argylle, Cavill can still be depended on to fill seats at theaters.