"Morbius," the movie about the day-walking vampire that's not Blade, is finally here after a two-year release delay ... and apparently it wasn't really worth the wait. The film has received abysmal reviews, with /Film's own review declaring that it might put viewers to sleep. But Sony gambled on this "Spider-Man" universe spin-off, and based on the early numbers, "Morbius" looks set to prove that superhero movies are still a solid bet -- no matter the Rotten Tomatoes score.
Per Deadline, "Morbius" is looking at a $39.1 million domestic opening weekend, which makes up more than half of its reported $75 million budget. It may lose momentum in coming weeks as other big blockbuster releases make their debuts, but that's a solid base upon which to build. "Morbius" also opened in some international markets this weekend, and its total worldwide gross so far stands at $84 million.
A Bloodsucker Bows To A Decent Opening Weekend
"Morbius" stars Jared Leto as Dr. Michael Morbius, a genius with a rare blood disease which he tries to cure and gives himself vampirism. The film also stars Adria Arjona, Tyrese Gibson, Matt Smith, Michael Keaton, and Jared Harris, and was directed by Daniel Espinosa ("Safe House").
The opening numbers are sort of middling for a film adapted from Marvel Comics, though it should be noted that "Morbius" is not part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but rather belongs to Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU) (formerly known as Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters, until Sony realized that "SPUMC" doesn't quite have the same ring to it as "MCU"). Other films in the SPUMC SSU include Tom Hardy's "Venom" flicks and the upcoming "Kraven the Hunter," starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Russell Crowe, and Alessandro Nivola. "Morbius" was originally planned to drop in July 2020, but COVID-19 caused several delays, and cost even more money in the marketing department as they had to remind people that yes, "Morbius" was coming out, eventually.
"Morbius" might have taken the top spot in its opening weekend (beating out "The Lost City" with Channing Tatum and Sandra Bullock and "The Batman" with Robert Pattinson), but it's not looking likely to stay there. In the coming month, there are a number of big blockbuster films headed to theaters, including Michael Bay's "Ambulance," the "Harry Potter" spin-off "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore," and "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" with Idris Elba as Knuckles. That's a lot of stiff competition for a movie that's not exactly blowing minds or winning hearts.
The morbidly curious can check out "Morbius," now in theaters, and see if this bloody tale's been sucked dry.
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The post Morbius Sinks Its Living Vampire Fangs Into $39.1 Million Opening Weekend appeared first on /Film.
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