Well, it certainly wasn't Morbin' time at the North American box office this weekend.
Morbius was a critical and commercial flop when it was first released in theatres a couple of months ago, but Sony Pictures' attempt to capitalise on the fact that it's now become a viral sensation has badly backfired. The studio clearly confused ridicule with people actually wanting to watch the movie, something that's evident from these numbers.
Forbes reports that the Spider-Man spinoff grossed a lowly $85,000 on Friday for an estimated $280,000 weekend. That brings Morbius' box office total in the U.S. from $73.3 million to $73.6 million, hardly helping Sony break even on a movie it's believed they lost quite a bit of money on.
Sony revealed plans to re-release Morbius in over a thousand theaters earlier this week, with even Jared Leto getting in on the joke to try and raise awareness. Again, it seems like a miscalculation on Sony's part as people poking fun at the movie clearly isn't an indication they actually want to go and watch it again.
"Jared Leto’s transformation makes for compelling viewing, but the Living Vampire can’t elevate a disappointing story that serves as a powerful, dare we say terrifying, reminder that Spider-Man is better off (and safer) in the MCU with Marvel Studios," we said in our review of the movie back in March.
Morbius is already available on Digital platforms and hits Blu-ray, 4K, and DVD on June 14. Check out our interview with Leto about playing the Living Vampire in the player below:
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