Netflix Breaks Tradition With First Reported Box Office for New War Movie

It's an important time for the Skarsgård family. Both Alexander Skarsgård and his younger brother, Gustaf Skarsgård, have new movies currently playing in theaters. Meanwhile, their other sibling, Bill Skarsgård, can be seen in a hit Netflix film that was released only a few weeks ago. While the oldest of these three brothers, Alexander, stars in the word-of-mouth hit romance fantasy film Wicker, the youngest, Bill, appears as part of an exciting ensemble in a World War II action film that marks something of a new era for Netflix. It's only the streamer's second major release this year to get a theatrical run, following La Bola Negra. In anticipation of major upcoming theatrical titles, Netflix is breaking tradition by formally reporting box-office figures for the first time.

While La Bola Negra has done very well in limited release, Netflix's new WWII movie has had a softer debut. It was released in roughly 350 theaters this past week, while La Bola Negra expanded into 38 theaters and delivered nearly the same haul. The Spanish-language Oscar contender opened in four locations two weeks ago, as Netflix attempts to give it an old-fashioned platform rollout leading into awards season. Envisioned as an awards contender as well, the WWII movie hasn't exactly received high praise from critics. In her review, Collider's Maggie Lovitt described it as "an exceedingly by-the-books film that adds very little new to the canon of war epics."

Here's How Much the WWII Movie Grossed at the Box Office

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We're talking, of course, about The Mosquito Bowl, directed by Peter Berg. The movie grossed $455,000 in its box-office debut, which represents a per-theater average of around $1,300. By comparison, La Bola Negra grossed $418,000 from just 38 theaters, as its running domestic haul passed the $1 million mark. The Mosquito Bowl currently holds a 39% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, but its 92% audience score on the aggregator website bodes well for its eventual release on Netflix. The movie will land on the streamer on November 25, just two days after Netflix debuts The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth in IMAX theaters for two weeks. Next year, the streamer has two major theatrical titles lined up — Narnia: The Magician's Nephew and Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory.