BUDGET$50.0M
VERDICT Disaster
History of the Joke backdrop
VERDICT: Disaster
Expert Verified

Is History of the Joke a Hit or Flop? Official Box Office Record & Profit Analysis

The official verdict is out. With a worldwide gross of $30.0M, History of the Joke is declared a Disaster.

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Box Office Snapshot

Budget$50.0M
Box Office$30.0M
Profit / Loss -$20.0M
Return on Investment (ROI) -40%

* A movie is generally considered a "Hit" if it recovers its budget and marketing costs (approx 2x budget).

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Detailed Verdict Analysis

Detailed Financial Report

Marking its arrival in 2008, History of the Joke positioned itself as a Comedy / Documentary film aiming for mass appeal. The production path for this project involved significant capital, with a reported budget of approximately $50.0M. In the modern film economy, recovering such an investment requires a multifaceted theatrical strategy spanning domestic and international territories.

Collection Trajectory

The box office journey for History of the Joke has culminated in a worldwide gross of approximately $30.0M. This figure represents the total theatrical footprint, reflecting a Return on Investment (ROI) of -40%. The collection trajectory points to a challenging market response, where the theatrical gross struggled to clear the traditional break-even multiplier required for production and marketing recovery.

Profitability & Verdict

Analyzing the multiplier effect and market sentiment, History of the Joke navigated the competitive landscape with an audience reception score of 5/10. When weighing the production costs against the global returns, History of the Joke is effectively categorized as a Disaster. This result will likely prompt a re-evaluation of budget strategies for similar genre entries moving forward.

Comparables

In the context of other Comedy releases, the performance of History of the Joke will likely influence how studios approach similar projects in the future. Whether through its innovative visual style or its narrative choices, the film's financial footprint remains a key piece of the 2008 box office narrative.

Audience Reception

Apart from the financial numbers, the audience sentiment plays a crucial role. Not all box office hits are loved, and not all flops are bad movies.

5.0
IMDb

The response is mixed. While some enjoyed it, others found it lacking.

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