'Bob Marley: One Love' overperforms at No. 1, while 'Madame Web' bombs at box office

NEW YORK − The Bob Marley biopic "Bob Marley: One Love" outperformed expectations to debut at No. 1 at the box office with a $27.7 million opening weekend, while "Madame Web" 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's Day moviegoers. But on a weekend that was once expected to go to "Madame Web," "One Love" emerged as the much-preferred option in theaters, despite largely poor reviews.

Instead, "One Love," starring Kingsley Ben-Adir and produced with the involvement of the Marley estate, performed roughly on par with previous hit musical biopics like "Rocketman" and "Elvis." The movie is expected to earn $51 million in its first six days, including estimates for President's Day on Monday. It added $29 million from 47 international territories.

A wide range of moviegoers turned out for the first big-screen biopic of the Rastafarian legend.

"It was across all generations. It wasn't just a movie for an older audience that grew up with Bob Marley's music," says Paramount distribution chief Chris Aronson. "Our highest quadrant was (age) 18 to 24. A third of the audience was under 25. That, to me, speaks volumes."

Produced for about $70 million, "One Love," directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, chronicles Marley during the making of the 1977 album "Exodus" while leading up to a pivotal concert for his native Jamaica. Among the movie's producers are Marley's children, Ziggy and Cedella, and his widow, Rita.

'You don't mess with Bob':How Kingsley Ben-Adir channeled Bob Marley for 'One Love' movie

In a statement on Sunday, Ziggy Marley said: "We thank the people for embracing this film and in so doing helping to highlight the message of one love."

Though critics dinged the film (43% "fresh" reviews on Rotten Tomatoes) for relying on biopic conventions, audiences gave it a much higher grade, giving it an A grade CinemaScore. That kind of audience response plus the strong opening should bode well for the film's run.

"Madame Web," 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 C+ CinemaScore) agreed with critics (13% "fresh").

Such launches were once unfathomable for stand-alone superhero films. But the film, an extension of the Spider-Man movies, struggled to shed the bad buzz surrounding the $80 million project. In it, Dakota Johnson stars as a New York paramedic with clairvoyant powers.

Spoilers!What that ending, and Dakota Johnson's supersuit, foretell about 'Madame Web'

"The entire superhero genre has had a really rough go of it over the past year," says Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore. "Certain 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."

Sony's Spider-Man spinoffs have been mostly hit and miss. Its two "Venom" films have together surpassed $1.3 billion worldwide. But 2022's poorly received "Morbius" collected just $167.4 million globally. "Madame Web" still couldn't come close to the $39 million domestic opening weekend for "Morbius." In 61 overseas markets, "Madame Web" added $25.7 million.

The 2024 box office has gotten off to a sobering start for Hollywood, and the disappointing result for "Madame Web" won't help. Moviegoing has slowed to a crawl in recent weeks, while 2023’s strikes have impacted this year’s release schedules. Even with the strong "One Love" opening, ticket sales were down 15% on the weekend compared to 2023, according to ComScore.

Expectations are high for "Dune: Part Two," opening March 1. Until then, "Bob Marley: One Love" will be jammin’.

Final numbers are expected Tuesday.