Filmmakers should be aware of Quentin Tarantino’s one old and bold statement on movie business.

Let’s face it, Quentin Tarantino’s truth bombs have always been intricate and delightful as the legendary director hardly refrains himself from making bold comments on anything related to movies. About 8 years ago, the director gave an eye-opening statement on movie ticket prices and it appears to be relevant even today.
Quentin Tarantino. Credit: Gage Skidmore/ Creative Commons
Tarantino has a long and glorious career to his credit. Since his directorial debut with Reservoir Dogs in 1992, the director has given several acclaimed titles to global audiences. His unapologetic movies which often wrapped with the raw tale of the narratives on screen, elevated his legacy but in this process, Tarantino’s observation and experience in filmmaking gave him the insight to understand the ups and downs of the movie business.

Quentin Tarantino Explained Movie Ticket Prices And How It Impacted The Movie Business

Quentin Tarantino in Death Proof. Credit: The Weinstein Company, Dimension Films, Palace Pictures
Cinema is not exclusive to the elites. Quentin Tarantino has been insistent on saying that the art form is for everyone despite the intricate process involved in making a movie. Also, the rise of cinema and the blooming industry primarily gained popularity as a medium solely because anyone can watch a movie in a theatre.

In The Hollywood Reporter’s Close-Up interview in 2016, the director gave an eye-opening statement about the movie ticket price.

I’ve been saying this since the 80s, when I, you know, when movie, ah, ticket prices, they were $5 for everyone in America. And then all of a sudden they started moving up to $6.50 and $7, and $7.25 and $7.50 and all that stuff. The key and what you are saying is this is a working men’s art form. 

Following his observation of the ticket price, the director went on to explain,

It’s not, it’s not Opera, it’s not theater, it’s not going to a big concert. The idea was that anybody could go and see a movie. That was one of the reasons why movies flourished in the 30s. And it’s not anymore. We have priced them out until now it’s a deal.

Tarantino’s bold statement can be analyzed as an overview of a brief history of the movie business. Of course, the observation of the director has the gravity to explain the recent failures of several movies.

Quentin Tarantino’s Statement Explains Recent Failure Of Two Big Budget Films 

Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt in The Fall Guy. Credit: Universal Pictures
Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt’s The Fall Guy made promising hype ahead of the release of the movie. The David Leitch-directed movie was inherently action-packed with the leads who were fresh out of Oscars claiming a nod each for their 2023 biggest blockbusters Barbie and Oppenheimer.

However, the promise was not convincing enough for the audience, and despite the movie claiming a glorious 81% score on Rotten Tomatoes, the action comedy failed miserably at the box office collecting only $158 million worldwide against the whopping production budget of $125 million (per The Numbers).
Anya Taylor-Joy, Tom Burke and Chris Hemsworth in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Credit: Warner Bros.
Most recently, George Miller’s Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga debuted in movie theaters after it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. The movie received astounding accolades and received a nearly 8-minute standing ovation with astonishing critical responses, now the movie stands at 90% Rotten Tomatoes score.

But beyond that, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga starring industry A-listers Anya Taylor-Joy in the title role and Chris Hemsworth as the main villain riding wheels in the action-packed movie carried out the legacy of the franchise. However, the Warner Brothers’ movie claimed only $21 million opening and now standing at $114.4 million (per Deadline). A devastating downgrade and has a long road to even cross the $170 million reported budget (via Collider).

The failure of The Fall Guy and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is the indicator of Tarantino’s statement reflecting on the box office performances of the movies.

The Fall Guy and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga are showing in theaters.