A big-budget science fiction film from 2023 was something of a disappointment when it was first released, but it is bound to become a cult classic soon. The sci-fi genre is notoriously hit or miss in the 21st century, and while it can always produce massive blockbusters, it has also produced its fair share of underrated gems that failed to move the needle with audiences. When delivering a sci-fi story, filmmakers are often tasked with walking the line between their own heady ideas and a story that will be accessible to a larger audience.

Many modern sci-fi movies are destined to become cult classics, and that is due to the fact that there is so much competition for audience attention. With movies being released theatrically and on streaming platforms, it's easier now more than ever for a film to slip through the cracks and go unnoticed. However, it is always a little odd when a $100 million-plus project fails to move the needle, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the movie is bad. Even expensive films can become cult classics, and a very recent sci-fi film is a likely candidate for cult status.

Gareth Edwards' The Creator Is Destined To Become A Cult Classic Sci-Fi Movie

The Movie Has Big Ideas Mixed With Impressive Visuals

2023's The Creator came and went without as much as a whisper, and only managed to gross around $100 million against a reported budget of around $80 million (via Box Office Mojo). While this might sound like the movie made a small profit, it actually likely lost money due to the fact that Hollywood films often have extensive marketing and advertising budgets that add costs on top of the production budget. The film was nominated for a few Oscars, but garnered a noticeably mixed reaction from critics, and was generally divisive.

The Creator's world feels real and lived-in, and not sterile like many modern sci-fi movies.

The Gareth Edwards film pushes a lot of the classic sci-fi buttons, including a story about the dangers of AI and humanity's response to a future dominated by thinking technology. However, The Creator approached those ideas with a unique visual design, and it had something new to offer in an era of science fiction that has become noticeably bland. The Creator explores a bleak future, but it offsets those ideas with compelling world-building and vibrant visual effects set against a location of lush green. The Creator's world feels real and lived-in, and not sterile like many modern sci-fi movies.

With its interesting concepts and noticeable box office failure, The Creator has all the ingredients to be a cult classic in the coming years. As AI becomes an increasingly real part of the audience's day-to-day lives, they may begin seeking out movies like The Creator to assuage or engage those modern fears. Many cult classics are low-budget and experimental films, but The Creator is a Hollywood-style film that was specifically designed to be as appealing as possible. This means that viewers who see the movie will probably like it, thus increasing its reputation.

Why The Creator Wasn't A Bigger Deal In 2023

A Combination Of Factors Buried The Gareth Edwards Movie

The quality of a film is rarely the reason it succeeds or fails at the box office, and plenty of stinkers have gone on to become billion-dollar successes. It would be incorrect to say that The Creator is a great film, and there are certainly plenty of problems with the script. Besides being overstuffed and somewhat undercooked, The Creator is missing a piece that would make it feel like a complete film. Nonetheless, its quality was not why the movie was a flop, and it's actually much more complicated than good or bad.

Gareth Edwards' movies include:

October is typically a good month at the box office, with early holiday blockbusters and horror movies gobbling up billions each year. However, October 2023 was noticeably down (according to Gower Street Analytics), and the few people going to the movies were seeing other films. The Creator opened on September 29, 2023, but had some stiff competition in the coming weeks with Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, Five Nights at Freddy's, The Exorcist: Believer, and PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie dominating. Had The Creator arrived earlier in September, it might have stood a fighting chance.

The Creator finished 7th for the month of October 2023 (via Box Office Mojo).

Marketing also plays a large part in a movie's popularity, and The Creator wasn't given a chance to succeed. The 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes meant that the cast were unable to promote the movie, and not much effort was put into advertising. Getting the audience to come to the theater is half the battle when it comes to having a successful film, and science fiction has a bigger challenge because it has to quickly win over a viewer despite its heady concepts. If The Creator had been sold as an action-packed adventure, it might have convinced more people to see it.