Disney’s latest theatrical release, Ella McCay, is struggling with its box office opening. The political comedy opened to modest ticket sales in North America, marking one of the weakest domestic debuts in recent years. Moreover, its weak performance has drawn attention to the challenges faced by mid-budget films in attracting audiences to theaters.
Ella McCay fetches a little over $2 million on its domestic debut
Disney’s political dramedy Ella McCay opened quietly in North American theaters, bringing in just $2.1 million during its first weekend. The figure places the film among the studio’s weakest modern openings and well below initial expectations, drawing attention to its underperformance.
Written and directed by James L. Brooks, the PG-13 release follows a young politician, portrayed by Emma Mackey, who unexpectedly rises to the position of state governor. Despite its relatively low production budget, the film struggled to gain traction at the box office, even by modest expectations for a mid-budget theatrical release.
Meanwhile, critical reception has also proven unfavorable. Reviews were largely negative, contributing to a low Rotten Tomatoes score of 23 percent on the Tomatometer, based on 93 reviews.
John Nugent of Empire Online wrote, “Its political satire is toothless: by ignoring the last 17 years of American politics, it renders virtually any points made irrelevant. Perhaps worst of all, its comedy is laugh-free: full of the kinds of clichés and slapstick that make it virtually self-parody.”
Produced on an estimated $35 million budget, Ella McCay represents a smaller financial commitment compared to Disney’s typical high-profile releases, which often exceed $200 million. Thus, the film is not expected to perform strongly at the box office. However, according to Variety, its modest production scale means the result is unlikely to have a significant impact on the studio.
In stark contrast, Disney’s other new release, Zootopia 2, continued its dominant run in theaters. The film returned to first place domestically and crossed the $1 billion mark worldwide.
Originally reported by Disheeta Maheshwari on ComingSoon.net.
