The Mummy Could Lose $95 Million

Tom Cruise's The Mummy is already a certified domestic flop, but many thought that strong overseas performance would be enough to make up for its high budget and marketing costs. However, a new report from Deadline questions that idea, projecting that the movie could lose as much as $95 million for Universal.

The Mummy is set to be the start of Universal's Dark Universe, which will reboot classic movie monsters like the Bride of Frankenstein and the Invisible Man. However, the film was haunted by issues right out the gate, including bad reviews and stiff competition from DC juggernaut Wonder Woman. Reports also allege that Cruise had too much power throughout the production process, with the star supposedly dictating script changes and editing decisions that gave the movie a disjointed feel.

Deadline estimates that the film will top out at $375 million worldwide, complete with $75 million from the domestic box office and $300 million overseas. (This seems like a low figure, as the movie already sits at $236.8 million overseas and has topped the international box office for the last two weeks, but it has tough competition coming this weekend in the form of Transformers: The Last Knight.) This alone would be barely enough to recoup the film's estimated $195 million production cost and $150 million distribution and advertising cost, but there is reportedly even more standing on in the way.

This comes from the distribution deals Universal made for the movie in other countries, some of which see only small percentages of the profits actually going back to the company. This includes China, one of the film's biggest markets, where as little as 25 percent of the profits could reportedly go back to Universal. The film isn't doing well in European markets or other markets where there is a better downstream. 

All of this puts the movie at an estimated $250 million profit, despite its gross. Considering the fact that the film's estimated budget doesn't include any potential bonuses or residuals, this could mean a huge loss for Universal. However, there is still hope for the film, as it continues to hold strong worldwide and could end up earning enough cash to break even– or at least provide a bit more cushioning for the loss. 

While we wait to see what The Mummy's final box office will look like, see some of the real reasons why it was DOA at the domestic box office.