Things aren't looking too good for Rupert Sander's Ghost In The Shell. The live-action film adaptation had a weak opening last weekend, raking in a sad figure of $19 million at the domestic box office.
While Paramount puts the blame on the "whitewashing controversy" surrounding the movie, a report by Deadline indicates that box-office predictions state that Ghost in the Shell could lose more than $60 million in the next few weeks.
Projections indicate that the film is slated to rake in $150 million internationall, and then $50 million domestically for a total of $200 million. This is a lot lower than the approximated $250 million that Dreamworks and Paramount spent on creating and advertising Ghost in the Shell.
Of course, Negative reviews have been one of the causes of the film's poor box office performance, however the film's marketing campaign really didn't do Ghost in the Shell any good either, exacerbating the whole "whitewashing" issue brought about by Scarlett Johansson's casting as Major Kusanagi.
While this may serve as a lesson for studios and encouraging them to cast minorities in lead roles more often, it is such a shame that Ghost in the Shell is flopping terribly. Fans have been desperately hoping for a good adaptation, and while many enjoyed the visuals, it seems like great CGI isn't enough to save Ghost in the Shell.
Ghost in the Shell is currently screening in cinemas.
Read: Ghost in a Shell - Review: More Shell Than Ghost