By Jennifer R Jones | Posted on June 19, 2012 2:49 AM
The Rock of Ages Movie Fails to Rock the Box Office and Barely Moves The Needle on the Broadway Show

The movie advertisements, which emphasize the more famous cast members (Tom Cruise, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti, etc.), are also rather misleading, since the main characters are actually played by relative unknowns. Some moviegoers may have also simply thought that the movie looked a bit too cheesy for their tastes (Alec Baldwin in a ratty-looking long wig can't be helping matters on that front).
Perhaps the real question is whether or not '80s music has as much mass appeal anymore, particularly to the largest movie-going demographic, young men. It's more likely that their parents are the ones who hold a strong affection for '80s hair metal, which would explain why Rock of Ages is a bigger success on Broadway (where middle-aged ticket buyers rule) than in movie theaters (which is more the domain of young people).