The biggest bomb of the holiday season is without a doubt Holmes & Watson. Despite fans of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly being hyped for the comic duo’s third collaboration – after Talladega Nights and Step Brothers – the Sherlock Holmes spoof has been met with vicious reviews from critics and disappointment from those who had high hopes for the movie.
It turns out that Sony knew they had a dud with Holmes & Watson, too. Deadline reports that the studio desperately tried to cut their losses with the film after test scores from early screenings were embarrassingly low. Apparently, Sony attempted to sell the pic to Netflix, but the streaming giant didn’t bite and the studio were forced to drop it into cinemas themselves.
It’s unclear why Netflix wasn’t interested in purchasing Holmes & Watson. To be frank, the site has released a number of poorly-received films before – any of their collaborations with Adam Sandler, for example – but presumably, their value came from the fact that they were still popular with audiences. You’d imagine that a Will Ferrell comedy like this would be widely-viewed on the streaming site, but we’re sure Netflix had their reasons for passing.
As it is, those armchair moviegoers who might’ve chosen to watch it from the comfort of their own homes probably won’t bother catching H&W in cinemas. The flick’s earned $10 million worldwide so far, finishing fourth in the Christmas Day box office behind Aquaman, Mary Poppins Returns and Bumblebee. That’s actually nothing to laugh at – much like the film itself – but we wouldn’t expect the numbers to raise too much more. Especially as the poor word of mouth continues to circulate.
One accolade Holmes & Watson did earn, though, was a rare 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. At least, it was 0%. Its fortunes have risen very slightly this week since it now has a singe positive review, which means it currently sits at 4%. Suffice it to say, Netflix must be pretty happy with their decision.
