Rocketman
RocketmanandBohemian Rhapsodyare two biopics chronicling the life of famous musicians , but they had very unlike fates at the box office . The latter , which came out last fall , was the long - expect Freddie Mercury film , starring Rami Malek as the iconic Queen frontman . Despite encountering production suffering ( original theatre director Bryan Singer was replaced by Dexter Fletcher during shot ) and sire recoil for its treatment of its content matter , Bohemian Rhapsodybecame an unlikely effect on the awards circuit . Among the many accolades it receive was a Best Picture nod at the Oscars andnumerous Best Actor trophies for Malek .
coincidently directed by Fletcher , the late - releasedRocketmanis a nickelodeon musical about the life of Sir Elton John , with Taron Egerton give it his all in the lead persona . In stark dividing line fromBohemian Rhapsody , Rocketmanwas critically acclaim , earning praise for its approaching , standout musical numbers , and Egerton ’s public presentation ( among other aspects ) . However , even though it ’s seen as the better film , Rocketman’sbox office staff could n’t come close to matchingBohemian Rhapsody . The Mercury biopic hie out to $ 51 million domestically in its orifice weekend , securing the top billet on the charts . Rocketmanmanaged $ 25.7 million , finishing in third . Its global totality to engagement ( $ 56.9 million ) just surpassesBohemian’sU.S. entry .
Related : Rocketman : Why Elton John ’s Manager Was So unlike In Bohemian Rhapsody
Given the disparity in the reviews , that ’s a bit surprising at first glance , but there are account for it . For starters , release dates played a significant role here . Bohemian Rhapsodycame out in November 2018 , in the thick of awards where there were n’t any traditional smash hit toy . At the time of its premiere , hitsA Star is BornandVenomhad already been out for a month , so there was n’t much in the way of challenger . Rocketman , however , came out during the summer flick season , when there are more high - visibility offer in field . Not only was it going up againstGodzilla : King of the Monstersin its opening weekend , Rocketmanalso had to struggle with Memorial Day smashAladdin(whichwas large than most anticipated ) and other notable holdovers likeJohn Wick : Chapter 3 .
It ’s also worth noting thatBohemian Rhapsodywas rated PG-13 , whileRocketmanwas an R. That is n’t to say it ’s impossible for an R - rated film to become a sizable boxwood office striking , but this probably contributed to the gap between the two film ' first step weekends . By nature , an roentgen rating is move to limit a movie ’s potential consultation ; this is why most major studio tentpoles go for the PG-13 categorisation . The squad behindBohemian Rhapsodyalways wanted a more family - friendly PG-13 , so that more multitude could see it on the big screen . Rocketmanwent for the toilsome universal gas constant , wholly embracing the high and lows of Elton John ’s life . John even foughtto keep the depictions of drug use and sex in the filmso it was a more honest depiction of what happened . This madeRocketmana better movie , but hurt its commercial-grade prognosis .
Just becauseRocketmanisn’t going to get anywhere nearBohemian Rhapsody’s$903.6 million global total does n’t make it a disappointment . This was n’t a monumental megahit for Paramount;Rocketmanhas a production budget of $ 40 million , a design it has already surpassed worldwide . In all likeliness , it will reverse a nice net income , especially since it should be a antagonistic - programming option for older moviegoers in the upcoming glut of musical style films in June . When looked at it that way , the summer release made sentience and may helpRocketmanhave decent branch at the box office staff . Hopefully that ’s what pass off , and Paramount make a modest hit under their belt .
More : Rocketman Is So Much Better Than Bohemian Rhapsody
