The 355 we hardly knew ye
Over the past several years, there have attempts to establish new espionage movie characters. The results have been mixed, at best, and bombs at worst.
A few examples at the box office (figures via Box Office Mojo):
Atomic Blonde (2017): $51.7 million (U.S.), $100 million (global)
The Rhythm Section (2020): $5.4 million (U.S.), $6 million (global)
The 355 (2022): $14.6 million (U.S.), $27.8 million (global)
Argylle (2024, opening weekend): $17.5 million (U.S.), $34.3 million (global)
Atomic Blonde had a Cold War-era story with Charlize Theron as an MI6 agent. IMDB.COM has an entry for Atomic Blonde 2 but it has very little information.
The Rhythm Section was an attempt by Eon Productions to venture into the spy realm beyond its long-running James Bond series. The Rhythm Section came out just before the COVID-19 pandemic.
It opened in the U.S. at more than 3,000 screens. It was pulled from 2,955 of them within two weeks. People simply didn't go. At the showing I attended the first night the film opened, there were eight people present in the theater.
Two years later, the 355, featuring women agents, did better but not a whole lot. Now, in early 2024, director Matthew Vaughn's Argylle had an anemic opening despite little competition in theaters.
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