RON HOWARD’s “In the Heart of the Sea” sunk at the box office, mustering up a measly US$11 million after debuting in 3,103 theaters.

    It’s a painful flop for the director behind “A Beautiful Mind” and “Apollo 13,” one of the worst of his Oscar-winning career. With a production budget of US$100 million, the film will likely result in a steep write-down for Warner Bros., the studio behind the seafaring epic.

    “In the Heart of the Sea’s” failure is the latest in a long string of missteps and disasters for the company, which is reeling from a litany of disasters that includes “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.,” “Jupiter Ascending,” and “Pan.”

    The studio did catch a break over Thanksgiving when “Creed” emerged as a sleeper hit and its financial exposure is softened on “In the Heart of the Sea” because Village Roadshow was a financial partner.

    “We stand behind Ron and his vision for the story,” said Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros. distribution executive vice president. “We believe in him. He’s a terrific filmmaker. But some movies work and unfortunately some movies don’t.”

    “In the Heart of the Sea” reunites Howard with Chris Hemsworth. The pair previously collaborated on the racing drama “Rush.”

    With “In the Heart of the Sea” flailing, “Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2” captured first place for the fourth straight weekend with US$11.3 million. The science-fiction franchise’s final installment has earned US$244.5 million domestically.(SD-Agencies)