‘I Did Take It Very Personally’
Melissa Barrera had a low point when the big-budget film In the Heights failed to perform well at the box office. The movie was directed by Jon M. Chu and written by Quiara Alegria Hudes, with the original stage musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The musical drama is set in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, featuring an ensemble cast that includes Barrera, Anthony Ramos (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts), Corey Hawkins (Straight Outta Compton), and Leslie Grace (Batgirl).
In the Heights received a 94% score at Rotten Tomatoes, but it was a big financial loss for Warner Bros., with a box office collection of just over $42 million. The pandemic era had an expected effect on the theatrical success of this and many other films. However, with a budget of $55 million and a break-even point of $200 million with marketing and other costs factored in, the film was a huge box office bomb.
In an interview with NME, Barrera shared her thoughts on the movie’s performance. She admits that she took it \”very personally\” at the time, but she has since learned to see the bright side of the situation. The experience taught Barrera a \”valuable lesson\” early in her career, and she’s learned to appreciate what was great about that project rather than focusing on the box office shortcomings.
Melissa Barrera Was Disappointed About In the Heights Box Office Performance
\”I took it very personally at the time,\” Barrera said. \”But it was my first big movie, and everyone was saying it was going to be a huge hit. It meant a lot to have a big studio movie with an all-people-of-color cast. The reviews were great, and the movie was fantastic – I’m proud of it – but then it didn’t do well because of COVID and it was released simultaneously on HBO Max [now Max] when people weren’t going to theaters. There were so many things that were out of my control.”
Barrera further stated, \”It wasn’t a great time. But I wouldn’t change it because it taught me a lot about the industry. If it had come out and become this huge hit and I had skyrocketed and become a global superstar, I don’t know if I would understand the industry so well. There are so many things that I have no power over, so I learned the valuable lesson that I can’t let that stain or dampen my experience of making a film. The only thing that matters is whether I’ve had a good time and I’m proud of what I’ve made, and whether I’ve made lasting relationships out of it.”
You can stream In the Heights on Max if you want to watch the movie.
Having the big-budget feature In the Heights falling short at the box office was a low point for Melissa Barrerathough the experience also taught her a valuable lesson about Hollywood. Released in 2021, the musical drama was directed by Jon M. Chu and written by Quiara Alegria Hudes, who wrote the original stage musical with Lin-Manuel Miranda. Set in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, the film features an ensemble cast of characters, which includes Barrera alongside Anthony Ramos (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts), Corey Hawkins (Straight Outta Compton), and Leslie Grace (Batgirl).
In the Heights drew a lot of acclaim, garnering a 94% score at Rotten Tomatoes. However, it was a big money-loser for Warner Bros., as it barely surpassed $42 million at the box office. It’s worth noting that the film was released during the pandemic era, which had an expected effect on the theatrical success of this and many other films. Even so, with a $55 million budget and a break-even point of $200 million with marketing and other costs factored in, the film was a huge box office bomb.
In a new interview with NMEBarrera reflected on In the Heights bombing with its box office debut. She admits that she took it “very personally” at the time, but since then, she’s come to see the bright side of the situation. That experience helped teach Barrera a “valuable lesson” early in her career, and she’s learned to appreciate what was great about that project rather than focusing on the box office shortcomings.
Melissa Barrera Was Sad About In the Heights Bombing
“At the time, I did take it very personally,” Barrera explained. “I don’t anymore. But it was my first big movie, everybody was saying it was going to be this huge hit, and it meant a lot to have a big studio movie with an all-people-of-color cast. The reviews were great, and the movie was fantastic – I’m proud of it – but then it didn’t do well because of COVID and it was released simultaneously on HBO Max [now Max] when people weren’t going to theaters. There were so many things that were out of my control.”
Barrera added, “It wasn’t a great time. But I wouldn’t change it because it taught me a lot about the industry. If it had come out and become this huge hit and I had skyrocketed and become a global superstar, I don’t know if I would understand the industry so well. There are so many things that I have no power over, so I learned the valuable lesson that I can’t let that stain or dampen my experience of making a film. The only thing that matters is whether I’ve had a good time and I’m proud of what I’ve made, and whether I’ve made lasting relationships out of it.”
If you want to watch the movie, you can stream In the Heights on Max.
