Khaberni - The movie "Lion" starring Mohamed Ramadan noted a remarkable decline at the box office, after it ranked fifth behind four movies that led the competition during the current cinema season.
The Egyptian artist Mohamed Ramadan has been long associated with the title "Number One," a title that sparked widespread discussion since its inception, between those who see it as a reflection of self-confidence, and those who believe the real judgment rests on success metrics and public reactions.
Ramadan has clarified on numerous occasions that this title is based on numerical data related to the viewership of his songs on social media platforms, ratings of his drama works, and the revenues of his films in theaters.
However, his latest film, "Lion," experienced an unexpected development in terms of revenues, after it ranked fifth in the list of displayed movies, trailing four works that topped the cinematic season.
"The Seven Dogs" movie, starring Karim Abdel Aziz and Ahmed Ezz, took the lead, followed by "Idhma" starring Ahmed Dawood, while the third place went to "What's the Talk" movie, and then came "The Crush" movie, which also stars Ahmed Dawood.
Less Than 500,000 Egyptian Pounds in One Day
"Lion" generated revenues of less than 500,000 Egyptian pounds on last Thursday, selling only 3,219 tickets, a number far from the daily averages Mohamed Ramadan used to achieve in his previous cinematic works, which could reach several million pounds.
Despite this decline, the movie managed to raise its total revenue after 37 nights of screening to 81.6 million pounds, through selling about 537.4 thousand tickets.
Some critics believe that the decline in the film's revenues is due to a set of factors, including its early release in theaters before the start of the main competition of the cinema season, which gave it an initial temporary boost that soon declined with the arrival of new works to theaters.
Some observers also point out that statements made by the creators about attempts to restrict the film or withdraw it from theaters have reflected on the movie’s image among a segment of the audience, who saw them as preemptive justifications for the decline in revenues.
Strong Competition and Criticism of the Story
"Lion" found itself facing strong competition during the Eid al-Adha and summer season, especially against "The Seven Dogs" movie, which dominated the box office and attracted the larger portion of the audience thanks to its commercial and popular elements.
The film was also affected by a wave of criticisms circulating through social media platforms and film rating sites, related to the story that addresses the issue of slavery during the nineteenth century.
Some observers consider that the work includes historical inaccuracies and an intellectual approach that may not align with the nature of entertainment seasons, where audiences typically favor watching comedic or light action movies.
