It clocked in at the mega high budget of $44 million, but ONLY earned $3 million at the theaters. What a loss!
The more I study it, the greater the puzzle becomes.
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad
Pluto Nash did worse
Heavens Gate actually broke even
You don't have to stand tall, but you have to stand up!
I think HEAVENS GATE would have earned a lot more at the box office (particularly internationally) if the film had maintained it original release schedule.
It original run in 1980 was just a week in a handful of cities. The cut version was barely released as well.
Film was NEVER properly released - hence the tiny return.
Per screen average for HEAVENS GATE (even for the short version) was passable for a film with such a bad reputation - meaning that there was an audience.
Had Cimino just left the film alone in 1980 - I'm pretty sure the film would have found an audience.
PLUTO NASH opened in over 2000 theatres - yet still only pulled in 4.5 million in North America. There simply was almost no audience for the film.
"Thank God For Darwin"