Marketing catastrophe for Uma Thurman as new film Motherhood takes just £88 on opening weekend

By Daily Mail Reporter

Disaster: Uma Thurman's latest film Motherhood has bombed at UK cinemas, making just £88 in its opening weekend


Uma Thurman's latest film has bombed at the British box office - making just £88 in its opening weekend.

The movie, which tells the story of a stressed mother attempting to raise her children and pursue a writing career, was watched by just one person when it opened last Sunday, meaning it took only £9 on its first day.

Over the entire opening weekend, no more than 12 people went to see the film, which cost $5million to make and also stars Minnie Driver and a cameo by Jodie Foster.

When contacted about the dismal failure of Motherhood, producer Jane Edelbaum said: 'You're kidding? We must have broken a new record for grosses!'

While Motherhood took just over £40,000 in the U.S. when it opened last year, Edelbaum blames Metrodome, the company in charge of promoting the film in the UK, for its extraordinary lack of success in Britain.

She told The Guardian: 'Think about how much crap succeeds at the cinema. Motherhood is not bad. It's a very decent movie. I've seen movie that are not half as good.'


Minnie Driver starred alongside Thurman in the film


Renowned film critic Barry Norman, who famously fronted BBC Film programme, added: 'Good God. I have never heard of anything like this before.

'This is not some small, independent movie. It's astonishing that only about 11 people could be bothered to go and see Uma Thurman.

'The reviews were very poor indeed but that alone isn't enough to explain this. It's a reasonable assumption that there was a marketing and advertising catastrophe and people didn't know it was showing.'

Mr Norman also referenced he decision to only allow one British cinema chain, Apollo, to show the film for its failure.

He added: 'It should really have attracted more than 11 people in passing trade alone. Apollo cinemas, after all, aren't in tucked away places. They are all prominently located.'


Sahara, starring (left to right) Steve Zahn, Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruz made a $121million loss


Gigli, which starred real-life couple of the time Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, made a loss of $66million


However, despite its dismal takings, Motherhood is not officially Britain's lowest grossing film on its opening weekend.

That doubtful honour was bestowed on 2007 movie My Nikifor, a film about Polish artist Nikifor Krynicki, which took just £7 on its debut weekend.

Other films to have flopped at the box office include Sahara, starring Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruz, which made a $121million loss and Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez's now infamous movie Gigli, which made a loss of $66million


source :dailymail