The Northman is currently the eighth most-watched movie on Amazon Prime Video. The film performed well on streaming services since it became available. Unfortunately, it struggled to make back its production budget at the box office, suggesting a considerable loss. The Northman isn’t for everyone, but its niche appeal suggests something about the current state of film marketing. While it sadly flopped on the big screen, that poor performance enabled its consistent success on streaming services.
The Northman Conquers its Fate on Amazon Prime
Robert Eggers’ The Northman earned $69.9 million on a budget of at least $70 million. That total comes before accounting for marketing, which typically doubles the cost. It could have lost the studio, Focus Features, upwards of $110 million. Those who watch the box office developed several explanations. As an R-rated, unabashedly violent, gore-filled epic, the film willfully shrunk its audience. Horror movies frequently chop out some of their objectionable elements to pass as a PG-13, allowing them to sell tickets to the sought-after teen demographic. Its content likely scared some potential viewers off. The historical blockbuster faced some competition. Some blamed the Nic Cage comedy The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, which opened the same day and also underperformed. Whatever the reason, Eggers’ epic suffered financially while earning rave reviews. It wound up on paid VOD services like iTunes, Vudu, and Google Play after only a few weeks.
Though dropping into home media seemed like a surrender, VOD quickly became The Northman‘s savior. It became the most-rented film on iTunes, third on Vudu, and fourth on Google Play. Twenty years ago, a movie that struggled at the box office could make up its shortfall through DVD sales and rentals. Those revenue streams decreased dramatically as streaming killed the home video market. The Northman demonstrates a potential path to profit through home viewing. Nearly two years after its disappointing box office performance, it’s back on Amazon Prime Video’s top ten list. It owes its current resurgence to unexpected countries. It’s in eighth place worldwide but number one in Greece, Morroco, and North Macedonia. Many ostensibly profitable blockbusters earn cash for a few good weekends before disappearing into the cultural void. The Northman forged a narrative by being an excellent film ignored by its theatrical crowd. That story lasts.
The Northman is excellent. It’s a gripping historical action thriller that feels truly unique. It keeps the ancient feel of its setting alive through filmmaking and storytelling techniques that would be absurd elsewhere. Fans of gory violence, Vikings, revenge movies, or any combination of the three will love Robert Eggers’ tragic but perhaps necessary flop. We likely wouldn’t have the cultural narrative around the film if it hadn’t underperformed. It gives future film producers a strange but consistent lesson. Straight-to-streaming movies have a stigma about them. It’s not as bad as straight-to-DVD or VHS, but it implies a lack of faith in the project. A theatrical release, even an unsuccessful one, earns a movie prestige and audience interest. We may see more mid-budget films hit theaters if only to increase their home video sales. Whatever gets projects like The Northman out there works for me.
