Robert Redford assembled a glittery cast for his latest directorial effort, The Company You Keep. The acclaimed star/producer also garnered his fair share of softball interviews with the likes of ABC’s George Stephanopoulos.
That wasn’t enough to prevent the film from tanking at the box office. Could it have anything to do with the subject matter?
The Company You Keep casts Redford as a former Weather Underground radical forced to flee from the cops when his identity is exposed. Both Redford’s character and his fellow Underground pals are shown as loyal, dedicated and often unrepentant about their murderous actions, particulary one played by Susan Sarandon.
Hard to imagine most film goers aligning with that theme, particularly in light of the April 15 terrorist attack in Boston.
The film’s theatrical release has been limited during its initial three-week run, but this weekend it expanded to more than 800 theaters for its fourth week according to boxoffice.com. The film still managed to make just $1.25 million, according to the site’s weekend estimate posted on Facebook.
It’s not uncommon for films to be released in a select number of theaters before going wider, a strategy designed to build positive word of mouth. It appears The Company You Keep didn’t garner enough audience accolades to power its theatrical expansion.
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