Madame Web is a new failure for Sony’s Marvel universe. ©Sony Pictures
A new victim has just been added to the list of superheroic failures. Without surprise, Madame Web marks the worst start for a Marvel/Sony production at the box office. The film with Dakota Johnson is beaten by the biopic Bob Marley: One Love, which marks a big American and international start. We take stock.
One more failure for Sony’s Spider-Man Universe
With Valentine’s Day on February 14 and the Presidents Day holiday on Monday the 19th in the United States, this extended weekend was ideal for bringing Americans into theaters. And the public made its choice, offering a nice start to Bob Marley: One Lovewhich collected 27.7 million dollars over the weekend, and more than 51 million over the six days.
The biopic on the Jamaican musician exceeds expectations despite mixed reviews (including ours). The film thus finished at the top of the rankings in the United States, and even internationally with a worldwide cumulative total of more than 80 million greenbacks. A nice start that will have to be confirmed in the coming weeks, to absorb the price of a production still estimated at 70 million dollars.
Kingsley Ben-Adir is Bob Marley in one Love. ©Paramount Pictures
We had already seen it with the fiasco of The Marvels in November: the superhero film is no longer a sure bet at the box office. The proof once again with Madame Web, the latest production in Sony’s Marvel universe. The Spider-Man spin-off film recorded $17.6 million over the weekend, and $25.8 million over the same six-day period.
A catastrophic score (even over five days) for such a franchise, and which is quite simply the worst start to Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, behind Morbius (39 million in three days), Venom (80 million) and Venom: Let there be Carnage (90 million). For comparison, this start is closer to the failures ofElektra (12.8 million in 2005) and Catwoman (16.7 million in 2004). Figures from another time!
It’s not better in the rest of the world, since the film totaled 51.5 million worldwide. At this rate, and given the disastrous critical reception, it will not be enough to repay its budget of 80 million dollars. The question arises: but what is Sony doing with the Spider-Man films? Next element of response on August 30 with the release of Kraven the Hunter.
Dakota Johnson plays Cassandra Webb. ©Sony Pictures
In the rest of the box office, Argyle naturally falls to third place and also confirms his failure. With 4.7 million dollars earned for its 3rd weekend, Matthew Vaughn’s film barely reached 37.2 million on American soil and 77 million worldwide. The industrial disaster is therefore confirmed, especially for a feature film estimated at 200 million dollars. Ouch.
Without exciting film releases before Dune: Part Two on March 1 (and February 28 in France), the American box office risks having a few more difficult days. The good news is that Denis Villeneuve’s film is reporting sensational results, with a first weekend estimated at between $75 and $80 million. Arrakis has never seemed so far away.
Dune: Part Two is released in theaters on February 28, 2024. © Warner Bros. Pictures
US box office from February 16 to 18, 2024 (estimates)
| MOVIE | WEEKEND | CUMULATIVE UNITED STATES | WORLD CUMULATION | WEEK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bob Marley: One Love | $27,700,000 | $51,071,205 | $80,071,205 | 1 |
| 2 | Madame Web | $15,150,000 | $25,804,619 | $51,504,619 | 1 |
| 3 | Argyle | $4,720,000 | $37,298,480 | 77Â 317Â 480Â $ | 3 |
| 4 | Migration | $3,750,000 | $116,077,995 | $256,079,995 | 9 |
| 5 | Wonka | $3,400,000 | $209,821,297 | $604,921,297 | 10 |