Has Netflix Killed Original Action Movies? Why Michael Bay’s ‘Ambulance’ Crashed at the Box Office
variety.comRebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterMichael Bay, the filmmaker behind “Armageddon,” “Pearl Harbor” and the “Transformers” franchise, was once the premier architect of big-budget explosive blockbusters. “Ambulance,” the director’s latest detonating action-thriller, proves times and tastes have changed in the days since mayhem and Autobots ruled the box office.Over the weekend, Universal’s “Ambulance,” a heist thriller that largely unfolds on an EMS vehicle, stalled out with $8.7 million from 3,412 North American theaters.
It’s a disappointing domestic box office debut given Bay’s track record in fielding commercial hits. The R-rated “Ambulance” currently ranks as the worst opening weekend of Bay’s career, coming in behind 2013’s hulking action comedy “Pain & Gain” ($20 million debut) and 2016’s Benghazi war film “13 Hours” ($16 million debut).
Neither of those movies went on to set the world aflame. You may be saying, “Hey! We’re still living through a pandemic, and the domestic box office has not returned to normal.” And that’s true.
But during the same three-day period in which “Ambulance” fizzled, the family friendly “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” opened to a mighty $71 million.
Read more on variety.com
