Michael Keaton He may be at the peak of his long career in Hollywood. The actor has appeared in some famous and beloved films over the years: Beetlejuice, Batman, Toy Story 3, Spider-Man: Homecoming, And many others. Most of these films have received recent critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Even the audience ratings have been good. But if you scroll down the list of Keaton films, you will find his worst film on Rotten Tomatoes: a supernatural horror film called White noise. However, despite the negative reviews it received, as well as other obstacles it faced, white noise Defying the odds, it became a surprise box office success.
What is white noise?
By the early 2000s, Michael Keaton had hit a career slump. His film releases had slowed, his popularity had waned, and the films he appeared in were often critical and commercial disappointments. Despite his best efforts, Keaton struggled to recapture the success he had enjoyed over the previous two decades. Then came White noise.
I have never heard of it before. White noise? Don't worry, except for those who saw it in theaters, there aren't many people who saw it. white noise A supernatural horror film that focuses on the so-called Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP), a strange phenomenon in which voice-like sounds are detected in electronic audio recordings and interpreted as coming from the afterlife. It's somewhat like a voice ghost. Keaton was cast in the lead role, playing a character obsessed with trying to contact his deceased wife through EVP – and in the process, attracts the attention of three evil demons.
Critics tried to silence White Noise, but it still managed to get a sequel.
Critics ripped apart mercilessly. white noise separate, He described the film as “confusing and unsatisfying”. It has a meager 7% on Rotten Tomatoes.the lowest-rated film in Keaton's stellar film career. But these scathing reviews couldn't silence white noise The film was a surprise success, grossing $91 million against its $10 million budget. But despite these numbers, audiences didn't seem to really enjoy the film. The film's Rotten Tomatoes audience rating was 31%, which is an improvement over the critics' rating, but still pretty bad.
As is usually the case, studio executives couldn't help themselves and felt they had to capitalize on this success. They pumped out a sequel, White noise: light, After only two yearsYou might expect critics to pan this film more than its predecessor, but again, white noise The film had a surprising result. The sequel received critical acclaim. It received a 75% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a whopping 68% increase over the original film.
The box office success of White Noise has Hollywood re-evaluating how the box office works.
Negative reviews weren't the only hurdle. white noise This had to be overcome. The film was released in theaters on the first weekend after New Year's, a holiday that is historically considered one of the worst weekends for a new film release. Studios tend to “ditch” films that are not expected to do well critically or commercially on this weekend, leaving them almost entirely vulnerable to failure.
But the amazing success he achieved white noise This has forced Hollywood to reevaluate its strategies, especially when it comes to horror films. Studio executives have realized that if a film like white noise If “The Last Day” can be a big box office hit in January, a quality film of this type should do even better in the same time frame.
You may not realize it, but We have seen this theory tested many times.. Classic horror film by director J.J. Abrams. Cloverfield It was released in January 2008, which would have been a huge mistake before White nose. The film grossed $40 million in its opening weekend, a record it held until 2014 for new January releases. Cloverfield The film was also a huge success, grossing $172 million. The devil is inside It was also released on the first weekend after New Year's. Like White Noise, The Devil Within It has been heavily criticized by critics – and like white noise It also turned out to be a box office success.
Of all the films, it was this 2005 horror short that became a case study in Hollywood, making production companies pause and reevaluate their strategies for new January releases.
Finally, Keaton got his proper comeback to his career.
Despite its box office success, white noise It wasn't the career comeback Michael Keaton was looking for. It wouldn't be until nine years later, with the 2014 film man bird Keaton would eventually achieve great success. Alejandro Iñárritu's Oscar-winning film brought Keaton He returns to his superhero roots, as an aging actor trying to move on from playing the superhero Birdman and get back on his career path.
Somehow, Keaton He was This character–and man bird This film was a real comeback for the actor. For this role, he received a nomination for Best Actor at the Academy Awards and Best Actor at the Golden Globe Awards.
Since then, Keaton has starred in a number of critically acclaimed projects, such as Center of interest, founder, and Hulu TV series Sick of alcohol. Over the past two years, he's had the opportunity to reintroduce two of his most iconic characters: Batman in 2023 Flash Recently, the raw character titled Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. After years of critical disappointments, including 2005's white noise Michael Keaton has successfully returned to the top of Hollywood's list of top stars. And it's clear that this 73-year-old cinematic treasure shows no signs of slowing down.
Michael Keaton to star in
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,
Which is now showing exclusively in cinemas across the United States.
