Mark Wahlberg’s latest film is currently out in cinemas, but the movie continues an unwanted trend that’s plagued the actor’s last eight releases.

SUMMARY

 The release of Arthur the King confirms a worrying trend in Mark Wahlberg’s career, with recent films struggling at the box office.
 Wahlberg’s shift to streaming platforms indicates he may no longer be the massive movie star he once was, facing a decline in box office success.
 Despite the recent setbacks, Wahlberg’s upcoming film Flight Risk with Mel Gibson could potentially break his box office losing streak.

Mark Wahlberg’s latest movie, Arthur the King, was recently released in theaters, but the film’s performance confirms a harsh reality following his eight most recent releases. Walhberg has turned into a household name after getting his acting start in 1993, and he’s had many hits over the years. However, his most recent film continues a worrying trend in the actor’s career.

Arthur the King is based on a true story and sees Walhberg playing a real-life athlete and adventurer Michael Light. Despite garnering some praise for his performance, the overall mixed response shown towards the film hints that Wahlberg’s best movies may be behind him. More concerning is that Arthur the King follows a rather undesirable pattern that has emerged in Wahlberg’s career in recent years, and it’s to do with the film’s box office.

Arthur the King is now playing in theaters.

Mark Wahlberg has spent a decade trying to push his passion project through the studio system, but it might be time for the star to let it go.

Arthur The King Further Shows Mark Wahlberg Is No Longer A Box Office Draw

The Actor Doesn’t Have The Same Level Of Influence He Used To

Mark Wahlberg made a name for himself as a leading man in the 1990s and 2000s. Many of his films, including Boogie Nights,Planet of the Apes, The Departed, and Ted, all proved to be hits. Nevertheless, the actor’s career has taken a downward turn of late, and Arthur the King’s poor box office performance only reaffirms this. So far during the 2020s, Wahlberg has only had one real hit – 2022’s Uncharted. However, Uncharted‘s association with a popular video game franchise, as well as Tom Holland’s starring role, were likely greater factors in the film’s success.

Mark Wahlberg’s Last Eight Releases

The Family Plan
December 15, 2023

Me Time
August 26, 2022

Father Stu
April 13, 2022

Uncharted
February 18, 2022

Joe Bell
July 23, 2021

Infinite
June 10, 2021

Scoob!
May 15, 2020

Spenser Confidential
March 6, 2020

Despite formerly being a relatively reliable box-office draw, nowadays, Wahlberg is arguably seen as more of a streaming star. Of his last eight movies, four of them – The Family Plan, Me Time, Infinite, and Spenser Confidential – were released directly onto streaming platforms. Wahlberg’s next film, The Unicorn, which is due to be released later this year, will be the actor’s third Netflix film in four years. A lack of box-office success, compounded by Arthur the King‘s underwhelming reviews, as well as a shift to streaming, demonstrates that Wahlberg is no longer the massive movie star he once was.

Arthur The King Featurette Clip Highlights The Incredible True Story Of Arthur The Dog

Mark Wahlberg’s Next Theatrical Release Could Fix His Box Office Streak

There Might Still Be Hope For Him Yet

Aside from Unicorn, Mark Wahlberg has another film in the pipeline. Flight Risk will reunite Wahlberg with Mel Gibson, his Father Stu co-star, who is set to direct the film. Despite being a highly controversial figure, Gibson has a surprisingly solid box office record. All five of the titles he’s directed have been financially successful, which is promising for Wahlberg. Additionally, Flight Risk, which is described as a thriller, appears to be similar in nature to the kind of Wahlberg film that would have previously made over $100 million, meaning his losing streak may soon be over.

Films Directed by Mel Gibson
Worldwide Box Office Earnings

The Man Without a Face
$24.7 million

Braveheart
$213.2 million

The Passion of the Christ
$612.1 million

Apocalypto
$120.6 million

Hacksaw Ridge
$180.5 million

Of course, Flight Risk‘s success is far from guaranteed, especially given the current state of the theatrical cinematic landscape. Mel Gibson’s last release, 2016’s Hacksaw Ridge, may have been a financial success, but it was released almost eight years ago and the movie world has changed dramatically in that time. Gibson provides Whalberg with a good opportunity for the actor to move on from the slump he’s found himself in – a slump epitomized by Arthur the King. However, both men undoubtedly face an uphill challenge.

Mark Wahlberg’s Highest-Grossing Movies Explained

Transformers: Age of Extinction takes the lead

Mark Wahlberg’s highest-grossing movie is Transformers: Age of Extinction, which made over $1,1 billion at the worldwide box office in 2014. Transformers: The Last Knight, which was released three years later in 2017, comes in second at $602 million. Considering how massive the Transformers franchise is, it is no surprise that Wahlberg’s highest-grossing movie role is that of Cade Yeager. Still, Wahlberg never reprised his role as Cade Yeager in a third movie, mainly because the Transformers saga went in a different direction with 2023’s Rise of the Beasts, which was not directed by Michael Bay and introduced new characters.

Mark Wahlberg’s Highest-Grossing Movies
Worldwide Box Office (via The Numbers)

Transformers: Age of Extinction
$1,104,054,072

Transformers: The Last Knight
$602,893,340

Ted
$556,016,627

Uncharted
$400,689,914

Planet of the Apes (2001)
$362,211,740

2012’s Ted, currently the tenth highest-grossing comedy of all time at over $556 million, comes in third in the list of Wahlberg’s most successful films, followed by 2022’s Uncharted at $400 million. Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes remake from 2001 is also among Mark Wahlberg’s highest-grossing films with $362 million, though significantly behind projects like Uncharted, Ted, and the Transformers movies. Whether Uncharted 2 will happen remains to be confirmed, but Wahlberg recently shared an update on the Uncharted sequel, which could turn out to be a box office success should the project move forward.

Mark Wahlberg’s new movie, Arthur the King, has flopped at the box office with a measly $7.5 million opening weekend. Why is it doing so poorly?

Arthur the King’s reviews describe it as an emotional, feel-good film

Arthur the King is described as an earnest, emotional tale that plays safe and works for the whole family.

Arthur the King’s reviews have ranged from mixed to positive, with the movie currently holding a 69% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes after 75 reviews. Mark Wahlberg’s latest film also boasts a 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and an “A” Cinemascore, both of which indicate it has resonated with audiences. Still, this positive reception does not seem like it will be translated into a box office hit, especially if compared with Wahlberg’s most successful movies. Arthur the King is described as an earnest, emotional tale that plays safe and works for the whole family.

Per Variety , Arthur the King had a budget of around $20 million.

The reception to Arthur the King also reveals that the movie is not too different from what the trailers had promised, which is not a bad thing but also means that there are not many surprises. A lot of the tropes and emotional beats that are expected from a movie about a man and his dog can be found in Arthur the King, which executes its premise well but does not go beyond it. Considering the film’s relatively low budget, Arthur the King was never going to be a major box office hit, but its poor box office performance further indicates a career shift for Mark Wahlberg.

Source: Box Office Mojo, The Numbers, Variety

Arthur the King is an adventure movie starring Mark Wahlberg and Simu Liu. Based on a true story, Wahlberg plays Michael Light, a pro-adventure racer who connects with a stray dog named Arthur. On his journey to win a final race, Light learns the true meaning of victory and friendship as his endurance is pushed to the limit.