The Force isn't with The Revenant
The next chapter in Leonardo DiCaprio’s Oscar-less career comes this December in the form of the new Alejandro Iñárritu film The Revenant. Unfortunately for DiCaprio, most likely one of the biggest films of this decade is premiering exactly a week prior. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the seventh installment of George Lucas’ widely popular Star Wars saga, and airs in theatres on December 18th. While viewership and attendance are not requirements for an Academy Award, DiCaprio may go unnoticed by moviegoers this coming winter.
Per IMDB, DiCaprio plays an 1820s explorer/hunter, exploring the uncharted American wilderness with his group of hunters. After being attacked by a bear, and being left by his friends, Hugh Glass - DiCaprio’s on-screen counterpart - must survive the wilderness and after doing so, sets out to seek revenge. Needless to say, similar to Glass, the odds are stacked against the surprisingly star-studded cast of The Revenant.
When I say surprisingly star-studded, that is to say that three of the main characters are portrayed by at least fairly well-known actors. Including DiCaprio, The Dark Knight Rises and Mad Max’s Tom Hardy stars in a supporting role, as well as The Maze Runner and We’re the Millers’ star Will Poulter. Ironically, the cast of The Force Awakens only sports one notable name in Harrison Ford.
Not surprising, however, will be the amount of Star Wars fans, myself included, who will undoubtedly (and for good reason) flock to their local theater on December 18th. But being the type of moviegoer who attends a new movie about two or three times a year, I can understand how The Revenant might be getting overshadowed. In fact, last year marked the lowest number of ticket sales in the past twenty years. But, while ticket sales have been declining, revenue has not. Ticket prices are also on the rise, with 2014 peaking at an average of $8.17 per ticket.
With the direction the numbers are headed, I can only assume most Americans tend to head to the movies at the same pace as myself, and that certainly does not include seeing two movies this December. Sorry, Leo.
