Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak had all the makings of a successful franchise when it was released in 2015. The stunning costumes, gorgeous set designs, star-studded cast, and eerily romantic storyline could have launched it to box office success, but according to the director, the improper marketing caused its doom.
Starring Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, and Jessica Chastain, Crimson Peak follows a young bride who was swept into a remote mansion in the English hills, only to discover the dark secrets that lie beneath its walls.
Guillermo del Toro reveals the culprit behind the box office failure of Crimson Peak
Crimson Peak failed to perform commercially, only earning $74 million against a budget of $55 million, and Guillermo del Toro blamed the film’s marketing department for this fiasco. While speaking with Vulture, the Mexican filmmaker revealed how they sold his film as a straight-up horror title rather than a romance and mystery story.
I remember distinctly, when we had the meetings [about promotion], they were all targeted toward getting the horror audience for the opening weekend. And I knew we were doomed!
He suggested the executives mention the love story and the enigmatic elements in the promotional materials, but they decided it was going to be a fright flick for all they cared. Del Toro never wanted it to be advertised as a scary movie, but he understood that it was going to be released around the Halloween season in October, so the decision was somehow justified.
Still, it was wrong to label it as the scariest movie ever because it doesn’t really fit the bill. When moviegoers went to see it, they left the cinema houses disappointed, and from that, Crimson Peak suffered a tremendous loss.
For a while, it endured the embarrassment of being a box office flop, but not until Netflix picked it up in 2021. The film was revived and was given a second chance; not only did it gain new fans but climbed to the streaming site’s Top Ten Movies of the Week as well.
It finally gained the love and respect it deserved from the beginning. The horror element was only sprinkled in bits and pieces across the movie, but it’s more of a classic Gothic tale that touches on themes of love, death, sensuality, and the ghost of our past.
Guillermo del Toro is satisfied with the newfound success of Crimson Peak
Del Toro felt so much joy now that his beloved film found its target audience years after its initial release. It slowly gained a cult following, but this was more than enough for the director as he puts more emphasis on people’s lasting connection with his films rather than being successful at first only for them to be forgotten in oblivion forever.
The film’s performance also did not seem to affect the cast’s careers as they remained at the top of their Hollywood game. Mia Wasikowska and Jessica Chastain have upcoming indie film projects, while Tom Hiddleston will return in the highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday as Loki.
Crimson Peak is currently available to watch on Netflix.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
