Pathfinder
Rate Movie[Total: 7 Average: 2.3]
- Directed By: Marcus Nispel
- Written By: Laeta Kalogridis
- Release Date: April 13, 2007
- Domestic Distributor: FOX
- Cast: Karl Urban, Moon Bloodgood, Russell Means
Box Office Info:
| Budget: $30 million | Financed by: Phoenix Pictures |
|---|---|
| Domestic Gross: $10,232,081 | Overseas Gross: $20,590,780 |
Phoenix Pictures head Mike Medavoy purchased the remake rights in 2001 to Nils Gaup’s classic Norwegian movie Pathfinder (Ofelas), which was nominated for a best foreign picture Oscar in 1987. The project began to actively move forward in early 2005, with Phoenix Pictures financing Pathfinder for $30 million. Endeavor was tapped to handle international sales, which sold well to distributors and would limit Phoenix’s exposure to this turkey. Phoenix brokered a negative pickup deal with FOX for the domestic release, where the studio would only have P&A expenses on the line.
Hired to direct was Marcus Nispel — best known for his hilarious ego blown 64 pages of written demands on his commercial shoots where he refers to himself in the third person. After Pathfinder tanked, he helmed another failed sword & sandals picture Conan the Barbarian (2011), which would end his studio helming days.
FOX first dated Pathfinder for a prime summer release on July 14, 2006 and the studio clearly had little faith in the picture and began to move it all over the calendar. First it was pushed it back to September 8, 2006 and then delayed until January 12, 2007, then moved to April 27, then pushed forward a week to April 20 and finally dated for April 13. Pathfinder bowed against Disturbia and also opening were the duds Perfect Stranger, Redline, Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters and Slow Burn.
Pathfinder had no buzz going into release and received atrocious reviews. It was dead on arrival with $5,001,214 — placing #6 for the weekend led by Disturbia. Audiences gave Pathfinder a terrible C- cinemascore and it sank 62.8% to $1,858,237 the following weekend and tumbled 70.9% in its third frame to $540,519 and then promptly lost most of its theater count. The domestic run closed with a terrible $10,232,081.
Pathfinder was a total flop overseas and cumed $20.5M across a numerous distributors. It was dumped straight to video in most smaller markets including Norway.