With notable Blockbuster movies like The Matrix series on his filmography, actor Keanu Reeves‘ return to the big screen was held to high expectations. Unfortunately, his efforts were botched with the release of his latest film 47 Ronin, as it was a complete box office disaster.

However, the problematic factors that contributed to the film’s disastrous box office sales had absolutely nothing to due with the quality of the film. In essence, marketing, advertisement and film production delays and cost were probably the dominant factors in the film’s downfall, reports Business Insider. 

47 Ronin, which was released Dec. 25, was actually on troubled water even before it hit theaters. In truth, the film was originally scheduled to be released in November of 2012. But unfortunately a number of production delays forced the film to be pushed back several times. So, in an effort to avoid yet another setback, the December release date was set. However, that was probably the worst decision that could have been made.

The month of December was filled blockbuster, Golden Globe Award-winning films like The Wolf of Wall Street and American Hustle. The release of such highly lauded films caused 47 Ronin to be overshadowed. Then, to add insult to injury, films like The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues were also among the list of popular December releases vying for the attention of viewers.

With so many releases, it’s probably safe to say the film got lost in the shuffle. But, from another perspective, marketing and advertisement could also be a strong contributing factor to the failure of the film. Unlike most of the other big releases, 47 Ronin wasn’t advertised as heavily as the blockbuster films that broke box office records in December.

Then, last but definitely not least, there’s the staggering production costs. A number of media outlets report that the project was filmed on a production budget of approximately $175 million. However, The Wrap reports that the fantasy action film would have to make a whopping $500 million profit just to break even.

The Matrix Reloaded, which garnered a jaw-dropping $742,128,461 was the only film Reeves has ever starred in to generate more than $500 million. So, suggesting 47 Ronin would make such a profit was quite far fetched. The publication also reported that even Universal had reservations about the credibility of the film, even suggesting that it would fail just days before the release.

The most disheartening part about the film is that it may have been more successful had it not been released during the holiday season.

Image via Facebook | 47 Ronin