NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Paramount Pictures鈥� Bob Marley biopic 鈥淏ob Marley: One Love鈥� outperformed expectations to debut at No. 1 at the box office with a $27.7 million opening weekend, while Sony鈥檚 鈥淢adame Web鈥� flopped with one of the lowest debuts for a movie centered on a Marvel character.
Both films launched in theaters on Tuesday to rope in Valentine鈥檚 Day moviegoers. But on a weekend that was once expected to go to 鈥淢adame Web,鈥� 鈥淥ne Love鈥� emerged as the much-preferred option in theaters, despite largely poor reviews.
Instead, 鈥淥ne Love,鈥� starring Kingsley Ben-Adir and performed roughly on par with previous hit musical biopics like 鈥淩ocketman鈥� and 鈥淓lvis.鈥� Paramount is forecasting that 鈥淥ne Love鈥� will gross $51 million over its first six days, including estimates for President鈥檚 Day on Monday. It added $29 million from 47 international territories.
Chris Aronson, distribution chief for Paramount, noted that pre-release projections forecast a six-day total closer to $30 million for 鈥淥ne Love.鈥� But moviegoers from a wide range turned out for the first big-screen biopic of the Rastafarian legend.
鈥淚t was across all generations. It wasn鈥檛 just a movie for an older audience that grew up with Bob Marley鈥檚 music,鈥� said Aronson. 鈥淥ur highest quadrant was (age) 18 to 24. A third of the audience was under 25. That, to me, speaks volumes.鈥�
Produced for about $70 million, 鈥淥ne Love,鈥� directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, chronicles Marley during the making of the 1977 album 鈥淓xodus鈥� while leading up to a pivotal concert for his native Jamaica. Among the movie鈥檚 producers are Marley鈥檚 children, Ziggy and Cedella, and his wife, Rita.
Ziggy Marley, in a statement Sunday, said: 鈥淲e thank the people for embracing this film and in so doing helping to highlight the message of one love.鈥�
Though (43% 鈥渇resh鈥� on Rotten Tomatoes) for relying on biopic conventions, audiences gave it a much higher grade, with an 鈥淎鈥� CinemaScore. That kind of audience response plus the strong opening should bode well for the film鈥檚 run.
however, was dead on arrival. Over six days, Sony is estimating a $15.2 million weekend and a six-day $25.8 million haul. Audiences (a 鈥淐+鈥� CinemaScore) (13% 鈥渇resh鈥�).
Such launches were once unfathomable for stand-alone superhero films. But the film, an extension of Sony鈥檚 universe of Spider-Man films, struggled to shed the bad buzz surrounding the $80 million project. In it, Dakota Johnson stars as a New York paramedic with clairvoyant powers.
鈥淭he entire superhero genre has had a really rough go of it over the past year,鈥� said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore. 鈥淐ertain things are no longer a sure bet. Except maybe now, the musical biopic has become the go-to genre. It just shows how tastes can change.鈥�
Sony鈥檚 Spider-Man spinoffs have been mostly hit and miss. Its two 鈥淰enom鈥� films have together surpassed $1.3 billion worldwide. But 2022鈥檚 poorly received 鈥淢orbius鈥� collected just $167.4 million globally. 鈥淢adame Web鈥� still couldn鈥檛 come close to the $39 million domestic opening weekend for 鈥淢orbius.鈥� In 61 overseas markets, 鈥淢adame Web鈥� added $25.7 million.
The better news for Sony鈥檚 Spider-verse came Saturday night at , where 鈥淪pider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse鈥� won best feature and collected seven prizes in total. 鈥淎cross the Spider-Verse鈥� is nominated for best animated feature at the Academy Awards 鈥� and the Annie Awards can often be a good predictor of winner.
The 2024 box office has gotten off to a sobering start for Hollywood, and the disappointing result for 鈥淢adame Web鈥� won鈥檛 help. Moviegoing has slowed to a crawl in recent weeks, while 2023鈥檚 strikes have impacted this year鈥檚 release schedules. Even with the strong 鈥淥ne Love鈥� opening, ticket sales were down 15% on the weekend compared to 2023, according to ComScore.
Expectations are high for 鈥淒une: Part Two,鈥� opening March 1. Until then, 鈥淏ob Marley: One Love鈥� will be jammin鈥�.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. 鈥淏ob Marley: One Love,鈥� $27.7 million.
2. 鈥淢adame Web,鈥� $15.2 million.
3. 鈥淎rgylle,鈥� $4.7 million.
4. 鈥淢igration,鈥� $3.8 million.
5. 鈥淭he Chosen,鈥� Episodes 4-6, $3.4 million.
6. 鈥淲onka,鈥� $3.4 million.
7. 鈥淭he Beekeeper,鈥� $3.3 million.
8. 鈥淎nyone But You,鈥� $2.4 million.
9. 鈥淟isa Frankenstein,鈥� $2 million.
10. 鈥淟and of Bad,鈥� $1.8 million.
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Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
