The Rum Diary Flops At US Box Office

The Rum Diary, Johnny Depp's personal tribute to the late gonzo journalist Hunter S Thompson, has tanked at the US box office, struggling to take in $5 million on its opening weekend.

The film had become a passion project for Depp, who became firm friends with Thompson after portraying him in the film version of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

The Rum Diary was written by Thompson in the early 1960s, but the novel, which tells the story of a journalist based in Peurto Rico in the late 1950s, was only published in 1998.

Distributor Film District’s president of theatrical distribution Bob Berney told The Hollywood Reporter: "Probably at the end of the day the whole Hunter thing attracts more of a cult audience. While he and Johnny were best friends and the movie is a tribute to Hunter, Hunter is still a little too extreme for the mainstream."

The film made $5 million (£3.1 million) despite opening in 2,727 cinemas throughout the country, which works out to takings of $2,205 (£1,378) per location.

The Rum Diary is released in the UK on November 11.

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