Tom HanksandRobert Zemeckis, the dream team behindForrest Gump, reunited nearly three decades later for 2024’sHere. Despite the anticipation, the star power, and the acclaimed director involved,Herehas interestingly proven to be a massive box office disappointment, especially when compared to the duo’s Oscar-winning 1994 cultural phenomenon.Hereis also unlikely to receive any of the same critical accolades as its predecessor.
Herelimped to a nominal $4.8 million opening weekend, lightyears away fromForrest Gump’s impressive $24.5 million debut. As the film crawls to just $11.4 million in total domestic gross, it is abundantly clear that this particular Hanks/Zemeckis collaboration won’t be mentioned in the same breath as their previous blockbuster hits likeCast Away(grossing $233 million) andThe Polar Express($183 million). In hindsight, multiple things causedHereto stumble so badly right out the gate.
Here’s Disappointing Box Office Performance Compared To Forrest Gump Explained
Here Always Faced A Monumental Challenge In Living Up To The Landmark Movie Of Forrest Gump
Here’s potentially faulty or lacking commercial performance can be attributed to a perfect storm of factors working against it. Most of the critics gaveHerenegative reviews, with many finding the film underwhelming given the talent involved. This resulted ina low 32% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, dampening audience interest.
The high-concept premise, involving the main character being trapped on a single movie set, was presumably going to be a challenging sell that limited the film’s mainstream appeal.Here’s cerebral, arthouse sensibilities are a far cry from the broadly accessible, crowd-pleasing nature ofForrest Gumpand the various creatives' other widely known successes.
“Zemeckis is trying something experimental and unique here, but that doesn’t translate to a good or emotional story. The film is more off-putting than anything, as though it belongs to a different era while simultaneously feeling out of time and in its own bubble.” -Mae Abdulbaki,Screen Rant’s Here Review
It also can’t be ignored just how drastically the cinematic landscape has shifted in the 30 years sinceForrest Gumpbecame a zeitgeist-capturing hit. In the franchise-driven, IP-obsessed modern cinema environment,a unique, heady drama likeHerewas bound to face a steep uphill battle to connect with audiences, especially without any built-in fanbase to draw from.
Forrest Gump Was A Huge Hit - But Technically Considered A Failure In The 1990s
Accounting Complications Surrounding Forrest Gump Labeled It As A “Flop”
Make no mistake,Forrest Gumpwas an absolute beast at the box office. The film earned a staggering $330 million domestically, making it the top grosser of 1994.It alsodominated the Oscars, winning six trophies, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Hanks. However, in a shocking example of “Hollywood accounting,” Paramount Pictures claimedForrest Gumplost over $62 million (viaLA Times).
Robert Zemeckis' Here Is A Harsh Reality 39 Years After Back To The Future
2024’s Here sees Robert Zemeckis repeat an interesting career trend, although it is much worse than what he attempted nearly four decades ago.
The studio allegedly used sly bookkeeping tricks to compound costs and add to the movie’s budget, making it look like the beloved Tom Hanks film was a money loser. This claim was especially outrageous sinceForrest Gumpwas one of 1994’s biggest hits. The studio tried to say they were in the red even though the film made an incredible $677 million worldwide after costing only $55 million to make — a number that should have meant huge profits for everyone involved with the project.
Forrest Gumphas a 75% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Namely, Winston Groom, who wrote the bookForrest Gump, didn’t get any money beyond his first payment of $350,000. His contract said he would get a share of the profits after expenses, not the total money the movie made at theaters.WhileForrest Gumpmade a ton of money, the studio’s tricky math made it look like a flop on paper. So Groom got nothing extra, even though his story became one of the biggest movie hits ever. This is compared to true box office flops, where it’s much clearer to see a movie actually losing money.
Tom Hanks Was A Box Office Draw For Forrest Gump - Is He Still One Now?
Hanks May Not Be As Much Of A Guarantee Of Profits As He Was At The Time Of Forrest Gump
Hanks' incredible star power helped makeForrest Gumpthe massive hit it became. Fresh off winning back-to-back Best Actor Oscars forPhiladelphiaandForrestGump, Hanks was once Hollywood’s most bankable leading actor. YetHere’s disappointing box office shows justhow much times have changed for the beloved actor, and the film industry.
The years afterForrest Gumpsaw Hanks continue his streak with massive hits likeApollo 13,Saving Private Ryan, andCast Away. His more recent track record tells a different story. WhileThe Da Vinci Codebrought in an impressive $217 million domestically, movies likeCharlie Wilson’s War($66 million),Larry Crowne($35 million), and nowHere,struggled to find an audience.
While disappointing, the shift in Hanks' box office power isn’t surprising.
While disappointing, the shift in Hanks' box office power isn’t surprising. Today’s audiences care less about star power,Hollywood makes fewer star-centered films, and at 66, Hanks has aged out of traditional leading man roles. With more of his recent projects likeNews of the WorldandPinocchiogoing straight to streaming, it’s clear Hanks' name alone can’t fill theaters anymore, especially with challenging films likeHere. Still, his status as one of Hollywood’s greatest actors remains untouchable.
Here
Cast
Here is an objective and formal description for the movie Here (2024): Directed by Robert Zemeckis, this film is an exploration of time and memory, unraveling the intertwined lives and stories of families across generations in a New England setting.
Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump is a drama film released in 1994, starring Tom Hanks as the titular character. The film explores the life of a man with a low IQ who inadvertently shapes several historical events, while his personal journey remains centered on his unrequited love for childhood friend Jenny.
