Moonfall (film)

In 2011, astronauts Brian Harper, Jocinda "Jo" Fowler, and newcomer Alan Marcus are on a Space Shuttle mission to repair a satellite. A mysterious swarm of alien technology attacks the orbiter, killing Alan and knocking Jo unconscious before tunneling into the surface of the Moon. Brian, the only witness to the swarm, returns the crippled shuttle to Earth, but his story is dismissed and he is fired from NASA.

10 years later, conspiracy theorist K.C. Houseman, who believes that the Moon is an artificial megastructure, secretly uses a research telescope. He discovers that the Moon's orbit is veering closer to Earth, and tries to share his findings with the disgraced Brian. NASA also discovers the anomaly, but K.C. goes public on social media, leading to a global panic. Jo is now NASA's deputy director, launching a spacecraft on an SLS Block 1 rocket to investigate the abnormality. The same swarm attacks, killing all three lunar astronauts after they drop a probe into a miles-deep artificial shaft that has opened up on the Moon's surface.

As the lunar orbit deteriorates, the Moon falls closer and closer to the Earth, causing seismic and gravitational disturbances. Jo meets former NASA official Holdenfield, who reveals that Brian was discredited because of a NASA coverup dating back to Apollo 11. During the first Moon landing, a two-minute radio blackout was meant to conceal evidence of pulsating lights on the surface. Apollo 12 revealed that the Moon is hollow, and a military EMP device created to kill the swarm was abandoned for budgetary reasons.

With help from her ex-husband General Doug Davidson, Air Force Chief of Staff, Jo requisitions the EMP and rescues retired Space Shuttle Endeavour from a museum to serve the new mission: to correct the Moon's orbit and destroy the swarm. Brian, K.C., and Jo launch with the EMP, using the Moon's gravity, narrowly escaping to orbit as a tsunami destroys Vandenberg Air Force Base.

They reach the interior of the Moon, revealed to be a Dyson sphere powered by a white dwarf at its center. The Dyson sphere's AI operating system explains to Brian that billions of years ago, the technologically advanced ancestors of modern humans created the AI swarm to serve them, but upon becoming self aware, it went rogue and they were eradicated by it. They built the Moon as an interstellar ark to create the Earth and then seed life on it, but the AI swarm discovered it and began siphoning energy from its power source, destabilizing its orbit.

Meanwhile, Brian's son Sonny, Jo's son Jimmy, and Jimmy's caretaker Michelle try to reach Doug's military bunker in the Colorado mountains, finding Brian's ex-wife and Sonny's mother Brenda, her husband Tom, and their family. Escaping disasters caused by the Moon's proximity and fighting off other survivors, the group finds safety in a mountain tunnel. As the Moon strips away the local atmosphere, Tom's youngest daughter runs out of oxygen. The injured Tom gives her his own supply before suffocating to death. The president orders a nuclear strike on the approaching Moon, but Doug refuses to comply, with debris collapsing the bunker shortly thereafter, apparently killing Doug.

As the swarm attacks all electronic objects containing organic life inside, K.C. lures the swarm away from their spacecraft with their lunar module, sacrificing himself to detonate the EMP. Jo and Brian return to Earth, reuniting with their families, and the Moon's power is restored, returning to its regular orbit, but now shed of its rocky exterior. Reconstructing K.C.'s consciousness, the Moon's operating system appears to K.C. as his cat, Fuzz Aldrin, and his mother, remarking that they must now "get started".

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| image1 = Halle Berry (35732558040) (cropped).jpg

| alt1 = Halle Berry at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con International in San Diego, California.

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| alt2 = Patrick Wilson at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con International in San Diego, California.

| footer = Halle Berry and Patrick Wilson play former NASA astronauts Jocinda Fowler and Brian Harper.

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• Halle Berry as Jocinda Fowler, a former NASA astronaut now serving as deputy director of NASA and Brian Harper's colleague who once flew together on a Space Shuttle Endeavour mission
• Patrick Wilson as Brian Harper, a disgraced former NASA astronaut and Jo's colleague who flew on a Space Shuttle Endeavour mission.
• John Bradley as K.C. Houseman, an amateur researcher, who finds out about the Moon being artificial and also discovers the incoming Moon impact towards Earth following his contact with an official from an observatory in Chile.
• Michael Peña as Tom Lopez, Brenda's husband.
• Charlie Plummer as Sonny Harper, Brian and Brenda's estranged son who was arrested for speeding. Plummer and Dalman additionally portray the manifestation of the Moon's alien operating system as it appears to Brian Harper.
• Azriel Dalman as young Sonny
• Kelly Yu as Michelle, a Chinese foreign exchange student who is also the nanny to Jocinda's son Jimmy.
• Donald Sutherland as Holdenfield, a former NASA official who found out about the dark side of the Moon mystery that occurred during Apollo 11 mission and was ordered to keep it under wraps.
• Carolina Bartczak as Brenda Lopez, Brian's ex-wife and Sonny's mother, who currently lives with her new husband Tom.
• Eme Ikwuakor as Doug Davidson, a United States Air Force Four-Star General who served as Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force and deputy director, as well as Jocinda's ex-husband.
• Maxim Roy as Sgt. Gabriella Auclair, a military captain who leads the task-force mission to rescue Brian and Houseman.
• Frank Schorpion as General Jenkins, a United States Air Force Four-Star General who served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and was tasked by the President of the United States to launch a nuclear strike at the Moon.
• Stephen Bogaert as NASA Director Albert Hutchings, who turns over his position to Jo at the last minute before the Moon's impact.
• Andreas Apergis as Colonel Reed, a soldier tasked to deliver an EMP that was to be detonated on the Moon.
• Kathleen Fee as Elaine Houseman, K.C.'s mother who lives at a nursing home and suffers from Alzheimer's disease.

Additionally, Zayn Maloney portrays Jocinda's and Doug's 10-year old son Jimmy, while Ava Weiss and Hazel Nugent portray Brenda's and Tom's 9-year old and 12-year old daughters, Nikki Lopez and Lauren Lopez, respectively.

File:Roland Emmerich (6973286762).jpg

In May 2019, Roland Emmerich was announced to be writing and directing the film.{{Cite web|last=Wiseman|first=Andreas|date=May 7, 2019|title=Cannes Biggie: Roland Emmerich, AGC Studios & CAA Media Finance Launch $150M Sci-Fi Moonfall|url=https://deadline.com/2019/05/cannes-roland-emmerich-agc-launch-action-sci-fi-moonfall-1202609224/|url-status=live|access-date=December 11, 2020|website=Deadline Hollywood|archive-date=May 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190507213640/https://deadline.com/2019/05/cannes-roland-emmerich-agc-launch-action-sci-fi-moonfall-1202609224/}} With a $138–146 million budget (including $40 million from Huayi Brothers, $15 million from Lionsgate Films, and $15 million from Germany), it is one of the most expensive independent films ever produced.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/jackass-forever-box-office-previews-moonfall-1235087229/|title=Box Office: Jackass Forever Laughs Hard With $1.7M in Previews|date=February 4, 2022|first=Pamela|last=McClintock|website=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=February 5, 2022|archive-date=February 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220205033717/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/jackass-forever-box-office-previews-moonfall-1235087229/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/02/roland-emmerich-moonfall-movie-pandemic-covid-miracle-this-movie-happened-1234694405/|title=Roland Emmerich On Making $140M Sci-Fi Moonfall Amid The Pandemic: 'It Was A Miracle This Movie Happened At All'|date=February 16, 2021|first=Andreas|last=Wiseman|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=January 20, 2022|archive-date=March 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304161222/https://deadline.com/2021/02/roland-emmerich-moonfall-movie-pandemic-covid-miracle-this-movie-happened-1234694405/|url-status=live}} Emmerich said the project had previously been bought by Universal Pictures, and once he got the rights back, Emmerich and partner Harald Kloser went to the Cannes Film Festival to get financial backers, with the independent nature helping Emmerich get creative control and a 50% share of the film.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/roland-emmerich-interview-moonfall-1235080389/|title=Roland Emmerich, Master of Disaster, Returns to Big-Screen Cataclysms With Moonfall|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=January 27, 2022|access-date=February 4, 2022|archive-date=December 31, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221231182827/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/roland-emmerich-interview-moonfall-1235080389/|url-status=live}} The idea came after reading

Christopher Knight and Alan Butler's book Who Built the Moon?, which discussed the hollow moon hypothesis, a conspiracy theory about the Moon being an artificial construction, and the script was worked on for four years.[https://www.vfxvoice.com/capturing-a-colossal-close-encounter-of-the-lunar-kind-in-moonfall/ CAPTURING A COLOSSAL CLOSE ENCOUNTER OF THE LUNAR KIND IN MOONFALL] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204194302/https://www.vfxvoice.com/capturing-a-colossal-close-encounter-of-the-lunar-kind-in-moonfall/ |date=February 4, 2022 }} - VFX Voice Magazine In November 2019, Lionsgate and Summit Entertainment acquired the North American distribution rights, and AGC International acquired the international distribution rights.{{Cite web |last=N'Duka |first=Amanda |date=November 26, 2019 |title=Lionsgate Picks Up Moonfall Sci-Fi From Midway Helmer Roland Emmerich |url=https://deadline.com/2019/11/lionsgate-roland-emmerich-moonfall-acquisition-1202795458/ |access-date=December 11, 2020 |website=Deadline Hollywood |archive-date=November 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191127144820/https://deadline.com/2019/11/lionsgate-roland-emmerich-moonfall-acquisition-1202795458/ |url-status=live }}

In May 2020, Josh Gad and Halle Berry were cast,{{Cite news |title=Josh Gad to Star in Roland Emmerich's Disaster Thriller Moonfall |work=The Hollywood Reporter |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/josh-gad-star-roland-emmerichs-disaster-thriller-moonfall-1294354/ |first=Borys |last=Kit |date=May 12, 2020 |access-date=May 13, 2020 |archive-date=May 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210527003542/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/josh-gad-star-roland-emmerichs-disaster-thriller-moonfall-1294354/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Kit |first=Borys |date=May 19, 2020 |title=Halle Berry to Star in Roland Emmerich's Sci-Fi Movie Moonfall (Exclusive) |work=The Hollywood Reporter |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/halle-berry-star-roland-emmerich-sci-fi-film-moonfall-1294852/ |access-date=May 19, 2020 |archive-date=June 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210622042842/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/halle-berry-star-roland-emmerich-sci-fi-film-moonfall-1294852/ |url-status=live }} with Patrick Wilson and Charlie Plummer added in June.{{Cite web |first=Borys |last=Kit |date=June 12, 2020 |title=Patrick Wilson to Star in Roland Emmerich's Sci-Fi Thriller Moonfall (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/patrick-wilson-joins-roland-emmerich-movie-moonfall-1298217/ |access-date=December 11, 2020 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |archive-date=September 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210904154223/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/patrick-wilson-joins-roland-emmerich-movie-moonfall-1298217/ |url-status=live }} In October, Stanley Tucci, John Bradley, Donald Sutherland and Eme Ikwuakor were added to the cast, with Bradley replacing Gad due to scheduling conflicts.{{Cite web |last1=N'Duka |first1=Amanda |date=October 13, 2020 |title=Stanley Tucci & Game of Thrones Alum John Bradley Join Roland Emmerich's Moonfall Space Epic For Lionsgate |url=https://deadline.com/2020/10/stanley-tucci-game-of-thrones-john-bradley-roland-emmerichs-moonfall-lionsgate-1234596832/ |access-date=December 11, 2020 |website=Deadline Hollywood |archive-date=October 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201015114927/https://deadline.com/2020/10/stanley-tucci-game-of-thrones-john-bradley-roland-emmerichs-moonfall-lionsgate-1234596832/ |url-status=live }}

Filming began in Montreal in October 2020,{{Cite web |last=N'Duka |first=Amanda |date=May 19, 2020 |title=Halle Berry Joins Roland Emmerich's Moonfall Sci-Fi At Lionsgate |url=https://deadline.com/2020/05/halle-berry-roland-emmerich-moonfall-lionsgate-1202938474/ |access-date=May 20, 2020 |website=Deadline Hollywood |archive-date=May 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526130119/https://deadline.com/2020/05/halle-berry-roland-emmerich-moonfall-lionsgate-1202938474/ |url-status=live }} after previously being planned for a spring start,{{Cite news |last=Wiseman |first=Andreas |date=January 16, 2020 |title=Roland Emmerich's Sci-Fi Moonfall Gets China Distribution & Funding From Huayi, Production Lined Up For Spring |work=Deadline Hollywood |url=https://deadline.com/2020/01/roland-emmerichs-sci-fi-moonfall-gets-china-distribution-funding-from-huayi-production-lined-up-for-spring-1202833344/ |access-date=May 13, 2020 |archive-date=April 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415020454/https://deadline.com/2020/01/roland-emmerichs-sci-fi-moonfall-gets-china-distribution-funding-from-huayi-production-lined-up-for-spring-1202833344/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Wiseman |first=Andreas |date=October 26, 2020 |title=Moonfall: Donald Sutherland, Eme Ikwuakor & Financier SPG3 Join $100M+ Roland Emmerich Sci-Fi Movie, Shoot Underway In Montreal |url=https://deadline.com/2020/10/moonfall-donald-sutherland-eme-ikwuakor-financier-sp3-join-100m-roland-emmerich-sci-fi-movie-shoot-underway-in-montreal-1234603254/ |access-date=December 11, 2020 |website=Deadline Hollywood |archive-date=October 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029224205/https://deadline.com/2020/10/moonfall-donald-sutherland-eme-ikwuakor-financier-sp3-join-100m-roland-emmerich-sci-fi-movie-shoot-underway-in-montreal-1234603254/ |url-status=live }} and lasted for a total of 61 days. Michael Peña, Carolina Bartczak, Maxim Roy and Stephen Bogaert were added in January 2021, with Peña replacing Tucci in his role due to COVID-19 travel restrictions preventing Tucci from traveling to the production.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/01/michael-pena-roland-emmerichs-moonfall-carolina-bartczak-maxim-roy-stephen-bogaert-lionsgate-1234671913/|title=Michael Peña Replaces Stanley Tucci In Roland Emmerich's Moonfall, Carolina Bartczak, Maxim Roy & Stephen Bogaert Also Join Lionsgate Sci-Fi Epic|date=January 12, 2021|first=Amanda|last=N'Duka|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=January 3, 2022|archive-date=February 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210217054607/https://deadline.com/2021/01/michael-pena-roland-emmerichs-moonfall-carolina-bartczak-maxim-roy-stephen-bogaert-lionsgate-1234671913/|url-status=live}} Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film had to speed up its principal photography with an additional $5.6 million spent.{{cite web|url=https://comicbook.com/movies/news/moonfall-director-roland-emmerich-opens-up-about-casting-and-working-during-the-pandemic/|first=Jamie|last=Jirak|title=Moonfall Director Roland Emmerich Opens Up About Casting and Working During the Pandemic|work=Comicbook.com|date=January 17, 2022|access-date=January 17, 2022|archive-date=January 17, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220117170735/https://comicbook.com/movies/news/moonfall-director-roland-emmerich-opens-up-about-casting-and-working-during-the-pandemic/|url-status=live}} Among the pandemic's restrictions were a lack of location shooting, forcing the construction of 135 different sets, built primarily on six stages on Grandé Studios. A museum in Florida contributed an original Space Shuttle cockpit, and NASA provided various data regarding the spacecraft.

1,700 visual effects shots were done for Moonfall, primarily handled by four companies, Scanline VFX, Pixomondo, DNEG and Framestore. Scanline was involved as early as a teaser done during the production of Midway for the Cannes pitch, a shot of the Moon coming up behind the Earth that ended up in the finished film.{{Cite web |url=https://nyperformingartsacademy.org/2022/01/28/how-visual-effects-pros-created-catastrophic-events-in-moonfall/ |title=How Visual Effects Pros Created Catastrophic Events in 'Moonfall' |access-date=February 4, 2022 |archive-date=February 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204194410/https://nyperformingartsacademy.org/2022/01/28/how-visual-effects-pros-created-catastrophic-events-in-moonfall/ |url-status=dead }}

For the recording of the score, composer Thomas Wander returned to Synchron Stage Vienna in the autumn of 2021, where Midway{{'s}} soundtrack had previously been recorded.{{Cite web |last1=Kobler |first1=Florian |last2=wien.ORF.at |date=2021-09-28 |title="Moonfall": Blockbuster-Filmmusik aus Wien |url=https://wien.orf.at/stories/3122832/ |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=wien.ORF.at |language=de |archive-date=February 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207163730/https://wien.orf.at/stories/3122832/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Stewart |first=Philipp |date=2021-11-05 |title="Moonfall"-Filmmusik: Hollywood zu Gast in Liesing |url=https://www.krone.at/2547768 |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=Kronen Zeitung |language=de |archive-date=January 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230128172849/https://www.krone.at/2547768 |url-status=live }}

The soundtrack album, containing a total of 23 pieces of music, was released as a download by Atlantic Screen Music/Filmtrax on February 4, 2022.{{Cite web |title='Moonfall' Soundtrack Album Details {{!}} Film Music Reporter |url=https://filmmusicreporter.com/2022/01/14/moonfall-soundtrack-album-details/ |access-date=2023-02-07 |language=en-US |archive-date=February 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207163731/https://filmmusicreporter.com/2022/01/14/moonfall-soundtrack-album-details/ |url-status=live }}

The film held a premiere in Los Angeles on January 31, 2022.{{cite web|url=http://www.beautifulballad.org/2022/02/01/stars-attend-the-world-premiere-of-lionsgates-moonfall/|title=Stars Attend The World Premiere Of Lionsgate's Moonfall|date=February 1, 2022|website=BeautifulBallad|access-date=February 4, 2022|archive-date=February 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220205040009/http://www.beautifulballad.org/2022/02/01/stars-attend-the-world-premiere-of-lionsgates-moonfall/|url-status=live}} It was released theatrically in the United States on February 4, 2022. It was previously scheduled to be released on October 22, 2021.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/05/moonfall-release-date-roland-emmerich-1234765046/|title=Roland Emmerich's Moonfall Finally Lands A Release Date|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Patrick|last=Hipes|date=May 26, 2021|access-date=May 26, 2021|archive-date=May 31, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531050753/https://deadline.com/2021/05/moonfall-release-date-roland-emmerich-1234765046/|url-status=live}} Despite having been advertised in 2021, the film's theatrical release in Canada was canceled because the local distributor, Mongrel Media, found it too risky to go forward with the release and spend the amount of money required on advertising when it was uncertain whether theaters in Ontario and Quebec, which account for a majority of film sales in the country and were shut down due to the pandemic, would be open in time.{{cite news|last=Hertz|first=Barry|date=February 2, 2022|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/article-inside-the-mystery-of-the-missing-moonfall-the-biggest-movie-to-ever/|title=Inside the mystery of the missing Moonfall, the biggest movie to ever bypass Canadian audiences|work=The Globe and Mail|access-date=February 3, 2022|archive-date=February 3, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220203065634/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/article-inside-the-mystery-of-the-missing-moonfall-the-biggest-movie-to-ever/|url-status=live}} The film was released in China on March 25, 2022.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/03/moonfall-china-release-date-roland-emmerich-1234974203/|title=Roland Emmerich's Moonfall Set For China Landing This Month|date=March 8, 2022|first=Nancy|last=Tartaglione|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=March 9, 2022|archive-date=March 9, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220309065922/https://deadline.com/2022/03/moonfall-china-release-date-roland-emmerich-1234974203/|url-status=live}}

Lionsgate spent approximately $35 million in promotions and advertisements, including $12.2 million on TV ads. Social media monitor RelishMix said online reactions were "mixed to negative" while "awareness stats" were below average. The film had a social media reach of 88.9 million interactions (including 51.1 million views on YouTube) from 31 videos shared online, which featured brand deals with Omega SA and Lexus. RelishMix also said "traction ran thin" and that online audiences "questioned the use of the Space Shuttle which has been out of commission since 2011 and chatted about rumors that the movie was heading straight to Netflix", while Emmerich was drawing backlash "for 'hating the Earth{{'"}}.

The film was released for VOD platforms on April 1, 2022, followed by a Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K UHD release on April 26, 2022, by Lionsgate Home Entertainment.{{cite web|url=https://www.dvdsreleasedates.com/movies/10463/moonfall|title=Moonfall DVD Release Date|website=www.dvdsreleasedates.com|access-date=November 23, 2022|archive-date=November 23, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221123090935/https://www.dvdsreleasedates.com/movies/10463/moonfall|url-status=live}}

Moonfall grossed $19.1{{nbsp}}million in the United States and Canada, and $48.2{{nbsp}}million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $67.3{{nbsp}}million.

In the United States, Moonfall was released alongside Jackass Forever, and was projected to gross $8–11 million from 3,446 theaters in its opening weekend,{{cite web |url= https://deadline.com/2022/02/jackass-forever-moonfall-box-office-1234924591/ |title= Jackass Forever To Punk Disaster Pic Moonfall As Winter Box Office Tries To Thaw Out – Weekend Preview |date= February 1, 2022 |first= Anthony |last= D'Alessandro |website= Deadline Hollywood |access-date= February 1, 2022 |archive-date= February 17, 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220217231554/https://deadline.com/2022/02/jackass-forever-moonfall-box-office-1234924591/ |url-status= live }} with Boxoffice Pro predicting a $9–14 million three-day debut.{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficepro.com/weekend-box-office-forecast-jackass-forever-and-moonfall-aim-to-kickstart-a-february-turnaround-for-exhibition/|title=Weekend Box Office Forecast: Jackass Forever and Moonfall Aim to Kickstart a February Turnaround for Exhibition|date=February 2, 2022|first=Shawn|last=Robbins|website=Boxoffice Pro|access-date=February 4, 2022|archive-date=February 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218081753/https://www.boxofficepro.com/weekend-box-office-forecast-jackass-forever-and-moonfall-aim-to-kickstart-a-february-turnaround-for-exhibition/|url-status=live}} The film earned $3.4 million on its first day,{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/date/2022-02-04/|title=Domestic Box Office For Feb 4, 2022|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=February 8, 2022|archive-date=February 9, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209012253/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/date/2022-02-04/|url-status=live}} including an estimated $700,000 from Thursday night previews. Around 300 theaters were closed on Thursday due to a winter storm impacting most of the Midwestern United States. It went on to gross $9.9 million in its opening weekend, finishing second.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/02/jackass-forever-moonfall-box-office-2-1234926709/|title=How Jackass Forever Thrived In The TikTok Era With A $23M+ Opening & Moonfall Fell Out Of Orbit At The Weekend Box Office – Sunday Postmortem|date=February 6, 2022|first=Anthony|last=D'Alessandro|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=February 6, 2022|archive-date=February 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218193814/https://deadline.com/2022/02/jackass-forever-moonfall-box-office-2-1234926709/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/2022W05/|title=Domestic 2022 Weekend 5|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=February 8, 2022|archive-date=February 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207125310/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/2022W05/|url-status=live}} The film suffered a 70% decline in its second weekend after earning $2.9 million.{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/2022W06/|title=Domestic 2022 Weekend 6|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=February 15, 2022|archive-date=February 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218095533/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/2022W06/|url-status=live}} Moonfall dropped out of the box-office top ten in its third weekend with $1.1 million.{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/2022W07/|title=Domestic 2022 Weekend 7|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=February 23, 2022|archive-date=February 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220221203856/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/2022W07/|url-status=live}}

Outside the U.S. and Canada, the film grossed an estimated $9.37 million overseas in its opening weekend.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/02/spider-man-moonfall-sing-2-chinese-new-year-global-international-box-office-1234927358/|title=Chinese New Year Movies Miss Market Record; Spider-Man Wings To $1.77B Global & Sing 2 Nears $300M WW – International Box Office|date=February 6, 2022|first=Nancy|last=Tartaglione|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=February 7, 2022|archive-date=February 22, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220222192230/https://deadline.com/2022/02/spider-man-moonfall-sing-2-chinese-new-year-global-international-box-office-1234927358/|url-status=live}} It made $9.7 million in its first weekend in China, debuting at the first position by displacing The Batman.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/03/rrr-the-batman-lost-city-moonfall-india-china-global-international-box-office-1234987698/|title=RRR Roars With $60M+ WW Debut; The Batman Rises To $673M Global; Lost City Finds Strong Early Start – International Box Office Update|date=March 29, 2022|first=Nancy|last=Tartaglione|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=March 29, 2022|archive-date=March 29, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329004804/https://deadline.com/2022/03/rrr-the-batman-lost-city-moonfall-india-china-global-international-box-office-1234987698/|url-status=live}} The film was released in the country when a new wave of the COVID-19 pandemic forced more than half of theaters to close.{{cite web|url=http://www.china.org.cn/arts/2022-03/27/content_78132962.htm|title=Sci-fi disaster film Moonfall hits China amid pandemic|date=March 27, 2022|first=Zhang|last=Rui|website=China Internet Information Center|access-date=April 11, 2022|archive-date=March 29, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329152459/http://www.china.org.cn/arts/2022-03/27/content_78132962.htm|url-status=live}} It retained its position during the following weekend with a gross of $3.2 million.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2022/film/asia/china-box-office-coronavirus-lockdown-1235222620/|title=China Box Office Crumbles as Coronavirus Lockdowns Bite|date=April 3, 2022|first=Patrick|last=Frater|website=Variety|access-date=April 5, 2022|archive-date=April 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404175331/https://variety.com/2022/film/asia/china-box-office-coronavirus-lockdown-1235222620/|url-status=live}} In the third weekend it fell to the fourth place while grossing $900,000.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2022/film/asia/china-box-office-fantastic-beasts-the-secrets-of-dumbledore-1235229582/|title=China Box Office: Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore Wins on COVID-Stricken Weekend|date=April 10, 2022|first=Patrick|last=Frater|website=Variety|access-date=April 11, 2022|archive-date=April 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220411040925/https://variety.com/2022/film/asia/china-box-office-fantastic-beasts-the-secrets-of-dumbledore-1235229582/|url-status=live}}

{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|35|4.40|216|Whether Moonfall is so bad it's good or simply bad will depend on your tolerance for B-movie cheese – but either way, this is an Emmerich disaster thriller through and through.|ref=yes|access-date=December 2, 2022}} {{MC film|41|45|ref=yes|access-date=April 17, 2022}} Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it a 66% positive score, with 49% saying they would definitely recommend it.

While appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on October 2, 2023, Neil deGrasse Tyson told Stephen Colbert that Moonfall violated more laws of physics per minute than any other science fiction movie he had ever seen, surpassing what he regarded as the previous record holder, the 1998 film Armageddon.{{cite web | title=What James Cameron Got Wrong in "Titanic" - Neil deGrasse Tyson | website=YouTube | date=October 3, 2023 | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSn3RV-ziMM | access-date=14 October 2023}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|moonfall.movie}}
• {{IMDb title|5834426}}
• {{Mojo title|moonfall}}
• {{Rotten Tomatoes|moonfall}}

{{Roland Emmerich}}

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