Why The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare Only Made $9M At The Box Office, But Isn't A Bomb

April 22, 2024, 4:05 p.m.

Movies

Why The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare Only Made $9M At The Box Office, But Isn't A Bomb

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Summary The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare had a limited domestic release with an opening box office weekend of $9 million.

The film exceeded early projections despite its underwhelming performance at the box office.

Lionsgate plans to stream the movie outside the U.S., explaining its lower box office earnings.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare's opening weekend at the box office was unimpressive, to say the least, but the Henry Cavill-led movie has nothing to worry about concerning being regarded as a box office bomb. The 2024 spy action comedy film, directed by Guy Ritchie and written by Ritchie, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, and Arash Amel, is based on Damien Lewis' 2014 novel Churchill's Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare's story chronicles a fictionalized version of Operation Postmaster — a British mission executed in 1942 during World War II.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare received fairly positive reviews, with many critics praising the cast's performances (especially Cavill as Gus March-Phillipps and Alan Ritchson as Anders Lassen) and highlighting the clever humor and spectacle in Ritchie's latest movie. As of the writing of this article, the spy action comedy has a 72 percent Tomatometer score and 94 percent Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite its positive reception, though, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare seemingly didn't perform well at the box office during the weekend of April 19, 2024.

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The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare Had A More Limited Domestic Release

The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare Was Released On April 19, 2024 In The United States

Guy Ritchie's The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare premiered on April 19, 2024, and its weekend box office total amounted to $9 million, which can be regarded as a mediocre number compared to other large-scale action films. However, in reality, the 2024 spy action comedy was confined to a limited domestic theatrical release. According to Variety, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare was only shown in 2,845 theaters across the United States during its opening weekend, about 1,000 fewer locations than other movies currently in theaters, such as Civil War (which added $11.2 million to its box office total).

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare's budget was $60 million.

Consequently, while Civil War had a history-making opening weekend at the box office, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare had an apparent underwhelming performance. But, the 2024 spy action comedy film was always going to have a lower gross because it was shown in significantly fewer theaters than other competing movies. Additionally, early box office projections predicted that The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare would earn around $5 million to $8 million from its premiere weekend, so the film actually exceeded expectations (even if it was only by $1 million).

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The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare Is Going Straight To Streaming Outside The U.S.

Guy Ritchie's 2024 Film Doesn't Have A Normal Box Office Release

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare's $9 million box office is disappointing at first glance, especially when factoring in its $60 million budget. However, its limited theatrical release and other factors, like Lionsgate's international release plan, explain why the movie's opening earnings are so low. The film distribution studio only debuted Guy Ritchie's spy action comedy in the United States, not even in Canada. So, Lionsgate should have been prepared for low box office totals, and executives are probably even happy with The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare's $9 million outing since it is higher than the movie's early projections.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare Cast Character Henry Cavill Gus March-Phillipps Eiza González Marjorie Stewart Alan Ritchson Anders Lassen Henry Golding Freddy Alvarez Alex Pettyfer Geoffrey Appleyard Hero Fiennes Tiffin Henry Hayes Babs Olusanmokun Mr. Heron Cary Elwes Brigadier Gubbins 'M' Til Schweiger Heinrich Luhr Henrique Zaga Captain Binea Rory Kinnear Winston Churchill Danny Sapani Kambili Kalu Freddie Fox Ian Fleming

Lionsgate plans on having The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare skip the theaters and go straight to streaming outside the United States, which is a shame because of its grand scale and action that should be seen on a big screen. Nevertheless, the film, which features a connection to James Bond, will debut on Amazon Prime Video in the United Kingdom, Canada, and other territories. Unfortunately, the international streaming release date is unknown. But it will probably not be long until those located outside the United States can access Ritchie's The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare on Amazon Prime Video.

The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly's Release & Box Office Continues A Guy Ritchie Trend

The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare Isn't Guy Ritchie's First Limited Theatrical Release

For those who have been following Guy Ritchie's movies in the past few years, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare's limited theatrical release should not be a surprise. Lionsgate's distribution plan for the 2024 spy action comedy follows the same pattern as Ritchie's three previous features. It all began with Wrath of Man, which had a theatrical release in the United States and several other countries in April and May 2021. However, due to delays related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Jason Statham action thriller went straight to Amazon Prime Video in the United Kingdom in December 2021.

[The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare] will likely ultimately earn around $22.5 million to $27 million once its United States theatrical release ends.

Ritchie's Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre debuted in theaters in the United States, Canada, and other territories in early 2023. Meanwhile, Lionsgate limited the action comedy to a streaming release (on Amazon Prime Video) in the United Kingdom in April 2023. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures theatrically distributed Ritchie's next film, The Covenant starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Silam, in the United States in April 2023, while the action drama went straight to streaming on Amazon Prime Video in other countries. It's unclear why Ritchie continues to follow a United States-only theatrical release plan, but it seems to work financially for the filmmaker.

Guy Ritchie's 2020s Movies Release Date Box Office Wrath of Man April 22, 2021 $104 million Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre January 4, 2023 $49 million The Covenant April 21, 2023 $21 million The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare April 19, 2024 $9 million (still in theaters)

Related Where To Watch The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare: Showtimes & Streaming Status Henry Cavill and Guy Ritchie's WWII movie is here, and there are different options for where to watch The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

How Much Will The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare Make At The Box Office?

The Action Comedy Isn't Projected To Make Much More Money

Following its $9 million opening weekend, the final estimate for The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare's box office is not grand. One can assume that the 2024 spy action comedy will roughly average a multiplier of two and a half to three, meaning that the movie will likely ultimately earn around $22.5 million to $27 million once its United States theatrical release ends. Of course, multiple factors can change that estimate, with the film grossing less than $22.5 million or more than $27 million, and only time will tell how much Henry Cavill's new spy movie will make.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is expected to make its streaming debut in the United States on Starz (likely around October 2024) before making its way to Peacock.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a World War II film following a top-secret combat unit who were formed by Winston Churchill to hunt down Nazis. The film is directed by Guy Ritchie and based on the book The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: How Churchill’s Secret Warriors Set Europe Ablaze and Gave Birth to Modern Black Ops by Damien Lewis. Director Guy Ritchie Release Date April 19, 2024 Writers Paul Tamasy , Eric Johnson , Arash Amel , Guy Ritchie Cast Henry Cavill , Eiza González , Alan Ritchson , Alex Pettyfer , Hero Fiennes Tiffin , Babs Olusanmokun , Til Schweiger , Henry Golding , Cary Elwes , Henrique Zaga Runtime 120 Minutes

Source: Rotten Tomatoes, Variety