ALLIED

Allied began early development at producer Graham King’s GK Films and he took the project over to Paramount for backing.  Paramount was to co-finance with New Regency for $85 million and a late fall awards season release in 2016 was planned.  When the first set of trailers and promotional items began to trickle out of the studio in early October, New Regency was still credited alongside Paramount, but they had quietly removed themselves from Allied shortly after.  Allied was dated for the Thanksgiving holiday frame and New Regency’s box office turkey Rules Don’t Apply was also slated for the same date.  In mid October 2016, China based Huahua Media invested an unreported amount into the film and helped secure a release in China — which would also mark Brad Pitt’s first promotional tour in the country after being banned because of his starring role in Seven Years In Tibet (1997).  After a particularly poor year at the box office for Paramount, with misfires 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, Zoolander 2, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, a small but wasted investment into Ben-Hur and disappointing results for Star Trek Beyond — Allied was a very anticipated project for the studio.

Being touted as a prestige pic with awards potential and commercial appeal, Paramount backed a very expensive marketing campaign and tracking indicated a holiday cume north of $20 million.  It bowed against Moana, Bad Santa 2 and Rules Don’t Apply.  Reviews were mixed, which killed off any awards buzz and it opened under expectations with $12,701,743 for the weekend — and $17,726,047 over the 4-day holiday.  Allied saw a 44.7% second frame decline to $7,026,249 and it fell 43.7% in its third session to $3,955,705.  The domestic run closed with a very disappointing $40,098,064.  Whether it was audiences tiring of recently seeing Pitt in WWII movies (Inglourious Basterds and Fury), his overexposure in tabloids about his divorce or the mixed reception from critics, Allied became lost in market crowded with better reviewed adult fare.

Allied has also struggled overseas and has pulled in mediocre to poor receipts in most markets.  The China gross was just $4.3 million and Australia posted the strongest showing with $8.9 million.  The recorded offshore cume is $79.4 million.