㽶ƵֱLisa Frankenstein 㽶Ƶֱ didn㽶Ƶֱt come to life at the North American box office in its first weekend in theaters. The horror comedy written by Diablo Cody and starring Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse earned $3.8 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. It debuted in second place on a very slow Super Bowl weekend, behind the spy thriller 㽶ƵֱArgylle.㽶Ƶֱ
Matthew Vaugn㽶Ƶֱs 㽶Ƶֱ Argylle 㽶Ƶֱ got first place with only $6.5 million, which brings its running domestic total to $28.8 million in two weekends. The $200 million production is Apple㽶Ƶֱs first major theatrical flop. Universal Pictures oversaw the North American release for the streamer, where it is playing in 3,605 locations. Globally, it㽶Ƶֱs earned $60.1 million to date.
Focus Features released 㽶ƵֱLisa Frankenstein㽶Ƶֱ in 3,144 locations. A 1980s-set teenage riff on Mary Shelly㽶Ƶֱs classic tale, 㽶ƵֱLisa Frankenstein㽶Ƶֱ was the directorial debut of Robin Williams㽶Ƶֱ daughter Zelda Williams. Reviews overall were mixed to negative with a 49% on Rotten Tomatoes. AP㽶Ƶֱs Mark Kennedy wrote in his review that it was 㽶Ƶֱa real monster 㽶Ƶֱ stitched together from previous movies, painfully incoherent and deeply, deeply dumb.㽶Ƶֱ
Audiences were mostly female (61%) and under the age of 35 (71%), according to exit data. But while the opening weekend was low, the production budget was also relatively modest at a reported $13 million.
The movie is set in the same universe as 㽶ƵֱJennifer㽶Ƶֱs Body,㽶Ƶֱ which was written by Cody and directed by Karyn Kusama. That film underwhelmed on its release in 2009 with critics and audiences but has gained appreciation and a cult cache in the past 15 years.
㽶ƵֱThe Beekeeper㽶Ƶֱ landed in third place in its fifth weekend with an additional $3.4 million. The faith-based 㽶ƵֱThe Chosen㽶Ƶֱ series, showing its fourth season㽶Ƶֱs first three episodes, placed fourth with $3.2 million while 㽶ƵֱWonka㽶Ƶֱ rounded out the top five with $3.1 million.
Overall, it㽶Ƶֱs likely to be the slowest weekend of the year to date with around $40 million industry-wide down nearly 25% from last year. The big football game isn㽶Ƶֱt entirely to blame either 㽶Ƶֱ in the years prior to the pandemic, the same weekend was able to generate over $75 million. And things aren㽶Ƶֱt likely to pick up significantly until 㽶Ƶֱ Dune: Part Two 㽶Ƶֱ opens on March 1.
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Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press