Movies

Matt Damon’s $335 Million Flop Is Suddenly Dominating Streaming

BBG News

Matt Damon, a renowned movie star, has been part of numerous box office hits. Yet, his collaboration with Pedro Pascal in the film, “The Last Duel,” did not meet the anticipated level of success.

The movie titled “The Great Wall” first screened in Beijing on December 6, 2016, and subsequently premiered in the U.S. on February 17, 2017. Despite its promising potential and large budget, the film garnered mixed reviews and underperformed at the box office initially. However, approximately nine years later, “The Great Wall” is experiencing a revival on streaming platforms, notably topping the charts on HBO Max.

Max received numerous enhancements, one of which was the addition of the Great Wall, and this new feature launched onto the platform on July 1st. Although the creature-focused film initially didn’t make a significant impact on the charts, it eventually climbed its way to the Top 10 by July 4th. The action-packed fantasy movie made its debut in seventh place on the domestic box office rankings.

The Top 10 list remains ruled by the current blockbuster of 2025, marking Hollywood’s biggest success so far. This was closely trailed by Mariska Hargitay’s documentary titled “My Mom Jayne“, a moving tribute to her late mother, Jayne Mansfield. It has received a perfect rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The latest Looney Tunes release, an action movie inspired by “Die Hard“, and the sleeper hit starring Daisy Ridley are also on the list, along with “The Hunger Games“.

The movie titled “The Great Wall” represented director Zhang Yimou’s debut in English cinema. It was penned by Carlo Bernard, Doug Miro, and Tony Gilroy, with story ideas by Max Brooks, Edward Zwick, and Marshall Herskovitz. The plot revolves around two European mercenaries who find themselves incarcerated by the Chinese imperial forces within China’s Great Wall. Over time, they align themselves with the Chinese to fight off a horde of Tao Tei, monstrous extraterrestrials that emerged from a meteorite and attack every sixty years.

The Great Wall Was a Critical and Commercial Failure

Although the concept of the movie seemed intriguing, it received a disappointing critique of 35% from critics, who felt that the action-adventure film fell short in terms of both excitement and the level of quirky fun they expected. The audience also didn’t find it appealing, as evidenced by its negative 42% approval rating on the Popcornmeter.

In 2017, Pedro Pascal wasn’t as well-known as he is now compared to Matt Damon who remained popular. However, despite this, The Great Wall, which had a production cost of around $150 million before additional expenses like marketing and distribution, didn’t succeed at the box office, ultimately earning $334.4 million but still losing approximately $75 million overall. Of this total revenue, just $45.1 million came from domestic sales.

The film’s controversies didn’t do it any favors during its release, either. The movie faced criticism for whitewashing and employing the white savior narrative by featuring numerous white characters, with Damon in the leading role. However, it’s worth noting that Damon’s character wasn’t initially written for a Chinese actor.

The Great Wall is streaming on Max.

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2025-07-04 19:54

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