Washington, March 27: Uma Thurman’s new film has broken box office records in Britain – it took a paltry £88 ($150) in it’s opening weekend, with no more than a dozen people bothering to see it.
In fact so bad was Motherhood’s performance, that its entire box office takings for its debut Sunday were £9, meaningjust one person bought a ticket, The Guardian reported.
The producers had limited the film’s release to just one cinema in London’s West End earlier this month in the hope they could create a positive word of mouth campaign.
The tactic spectacularly backfired and has caused a rift between the producers and the film’s marketers in Britain.
Motherhood tells the story of a stressed-out New York mother, played by Thurman of Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction fame.
Despite costing a reported $5.5 million to make, it grossed little over $100,000 in the US last year.
The film’s producer, Jana Edelbaum, had no idea the film’s takings were so bad in the UK until contacted by The Guardian.
“You’re kidding?” she said. “Think how much crap succeeds at the cinema.”
Critics were similarly surprised that a film starring a star of Thurman’s quality had flopped.
One, Barry Norman, told The Guardian: “This is not some small, independent movie. It’s astonishing that only about 11 people could be bothered to go and see Uma Thurman.”
Edelbaum said that she was dreading telling the film’s director, Katherine Dieckmann, about the takings, saying the project was a labour of love for her.
“I’m a producer; I’ve got a thick skin but, well, she’s a creative,” she said.
There is no plan to release Motherhood in Australian cinemas.
–Agencies