Why Indiana Jones 5 & Mission Impossible 7 Could Lose Millions At The Box Office

With "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" and "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One," we have two films with varying levels of reception and fandom that are flopping, thanks in part to their budgets. Both could potentially lose millions for their respective studios, signaling that IP isn't the sure-fire bet it once used to be at the box office. While the box office failure of "Dial of Destiny" may not be surprising in hindsight, Disney likely thought the fifth "Indiana Jones" outing would at least be profitable, especially when compared to the $780 million+ total that "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" brought forth. But audiences clearly rejected Disney's second "Indy" legacy sequel, all but confirming that "Indiana Jones" doesn't have the same brand appeal that it once did. 

"Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning — Part One" may breakeven if it crosses $600 million, though it seems unlikely. If Paramount Pictures had taken a more strategic approach with the Tom Cruise film's release date, it's likely that the seventh film would have boasted receipts north of $700 million. Unfortunately, it looks like Cruise's latest is a loser. 

With the COVID-19 pandemic in the rearview mirror, Hollywood has to take a closer look at its inflated budgets and determine if certain projects are genuinely worth the risk. Just this year, audiences rejected several films, turning "The Flash," "Haunted Mansion," and "Fast X" into box office disappointments. With lower budgets, films don't have to reach crazy high, record-breaking benchmarks. In 2023, China is not a major player at the box office, and audiences have proven that they have the patience to wait for films to hit streaming. Here's hoping that "Dial of Destiny" and "Dead Reckoning" find an audience when they hit their studio's respective streaming services.