Bob Marley Biopic ‘One Love’ Rocks Valentine’s Day Box Office with $14 Million
Paramount’s Bob Marley: One Love biopic has taken the Valentine’s Day box office by storm, raking in an impressive $14 million on its opening day. This makes it the highest-grossing mid-week opener ever for Valentine’s Day, surpassing the previous record set by 2012’s The Vow. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, audiences have fallen in love with the film, giving it an A CinemaScore.
Not only did the biopic dominate the domestic box office, but it also outperformed Sony’s superhero film Madame Web, which only managed to gross $6 million and received a C+ CinemaScore. On the international front, One Love has already made a promising $5.4 million, including a record-breaking opening of $2.3 million in the U.K., making it the highest-grossing music biopic debut.
Both films strategically opened on Valentine’s Day to attract couples looking for a romantic movie night. Additionally, they aimed to capitalize on the long President’s Day weekend, with the official holiday falling on Monday. As a result, both movies will report their earnings over a six-day period. Early estimates suggest that One Love will surpass Madame Web with a total gross of $30 million or more.
Traditionally, superhero films would be considered the safe bet to win at the box office. However, the landscape has changed as both DC and Marvel Studios face challenges following recent box office disappointments. Madame Web, part of Sony’s Marvel universe that includes titles like Venom and Morbius, is projected to earn between $25 million and $27 million during its six-day run.
One Love, directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, tells the story of the iconic Jamaican musician and Rastafarian, Bob Marley. Starring Kingsley Ben-Adir, the film focuses on Marley’s journey while creating his 1977 album Exodus and the events that followed, including an assassination attempt and his belief in the healing power of music during the post-Colonial era. The movie’s production involves Marley’s children Ziggy and Cedella, as well as his wife Rita. While critics have given One Love a lukewarm reception, with a 44 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, Paramount remains confident that audiences will embrace the $70 million film. The studio hopes to replicate the success of other biopics like Rocketman and Elvis.
In contrast, Madame Web has received scathing reviews from critics. Currently holding a dismal 15 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, the film stars Dakota Johnson alongside Sydney Sweeney, Adam Scott, Isabela Merced, and Celeste O’Connor. With a reported production budget of $80 million, Madame Web is considered relatively modest for a superhero film. However, its six-day release window makes it challenging to compare its performance to other Marvel openings that typically occur over three-day weekends.
As the box office battle unfolds between One Love and Madame Web, it is clear that audiences are gravitating towards the story of Bob Marley’s life. Despite the mixed critical reception, the biopic’s strong opening day numbers and positive audience feedback indicate that it has struck a chord with viewers. Only time will tell if One Love can maintain its momentum and become another successful music biopic in the vein of Rocketman and Elvis.