Why did this fantasy movie's domestic box office drop after a huge opening?

[Mark78]

I just saw the final domestic numbers for that new fantasy movie and I’m honestly confused. It opened huge but then fell off a cliff in its second weekend, way worse than the projections I read. What causes a film’s legs to just collapse like that?

[Samuel.M]

That big opening usually comes from marketing power more than lasting appeal. If the worldbuilding or tone doesn’t land after people sit in, word of mouth can wipe out the momentum fast. In fantasy, the payoff has to feel earned, or folks don’t bother returning.

[RileyG]

Last year I watched a fantasy flick open huge here, then the second weekend dropped hard because the story didn’t give people a reason to come back or bring friends again. A few showtimes were scaled back and conversations went quiet quick.

[Abigail43]

Do you think the problem is the marketing not lining up with the actual film, or is the story not delivering on the promise?

[Jerry_T]

I keep wondering if the big numbers in week one aren’t translating to long-term from streaming rights or a later release window. Sometimes a movie fails to find its second life even when it looked huge at first, and I’ve seen that play out in other genres too.