Despite scathing reviews and numerous delays, Sony's Morbius has debuted to $39.1 million, putting it in line with previous expectations. After the Amazing Spider-Man franchise failed to give Sony the Marvel universe it wanted, the studio is trying again with a world built upon the web-slinger's various villains. Directed by Daniel Espinosa, Morbius revolves around Dr. Michael Morbius (Jared Leto), a brilliant scientist suffering from a rare blood disease. One of his potential radical cures gives him a powerful and dangerous form of vampirism, turning him into the Living Vampire fans know from the comics.
Morbius went into its opening weekend in a position not many Marvel movies do. It was originally scheduled to premiere in 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic led to a total of six delays. That alone would potentially impact enthusiasm for the film, but Morbius also got saddled with negative reviews last week. With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 17%, many were wondering if that would diminish the movie's might at the box office. Last week's projections suggested Morbius would earn anywhere from $40-$50 million; after it pulled in $5.7 million from Thursday night previews, the projections shifted to closer to the $40 million area.
Now the Sunday numbers are in, and Morbius has managed to fall in line with these expectations. Per THR, the film earned $39.1 million domestically in its first weekend from 4,268 theaters. Globally, it pulled in $84 million, which is more than its reported $75 million budget. Of course, Morbius still has a ways to go before it can be considered a success. Meanwhile, last weekend's #1 movie, The Lost City, earned $14.8 million, bringing its domestic total to $54.6 million.
As many believed, Morbius' opening weekend gross didn't come close to its other Sony-Marvel brethren, 2018's Venom and its 2021 sequel. While that might seem like Morbius is an all-around disappointment, it's important to remember that in the case of the first Venom, its $80 million opening was a surprise. Both that movie and Venom: Let There Be Carnage earned negative-to-mixed reviews as well, but they won over fans with their campier sensibilities and Tom Hardy's go-for-broke performance.
The fan reception to Morbius isn't quite as glowing, but its opening numbers show audiences haven't entirely rejected it. While $39.1 million might not be anywhere near the figures studios expect from superhero fare, Morbius was fighting something of an uphill battle. It could've dropped a lot more, but it still managed to meet some expectations. What this means for the movie going forward remains to be seen, but the next few weeks will be important for Morbius' overall performance. Sony already has other Marvel movies in the works, like Kraven the Hunter and Madame Web. Based on the Morbius ending, one can assume Leto's Living Vampire will continue to play a part in this universe; only time will tell if audiences seem to like that idea.
Source: THR
