By Lindsey Bahr
"Lisa Frankenstein" didn't 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 "Argylle."
Matthew Vaugn's " Argylle " 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's first major theatrical flop. Universal Pictures oversaw the North American release for the streamer, where it is playing in 3,605 locations. Globally, it's earned $60.1 million to date.
Focus Features released "Lisa Frankenstein" in 3,144 locations. A 1980s-set teenage riff on Mary Shelly's classic tale, "Lisa Frankenstein" was the directorial debut of Robin Williams' daughter Zelda Williams. Reviews overall were mixed to negative with a 49% on Rotten Tomatoes. AP's Mark Kennedy wrote in his review that it was "a real monster — stitched together from previous movies, painfully incoherent and deeply, deeply dumb."
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 "Jennifer's Body," 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.
"The Beekeeper" landed in third place in its fifth weekend with an additional $3.5 million. The faith-based "The Chosen" series, showing its fourth season's first three episodes, placed fourth with $3.2 million while "Wonka" rounded out the top five with $3.1 million.
Overall, it's 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't entirely to blame either — in the years prior to the pandemic, the same weekend was able to generate over $75 million. In 2009, the Liam Neeson movie "Taken" went head-to-head with the Super Bowl and made $24.7 million. And in 2015, "American Sniper" brought in $30.7 million.
But this year is different. Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore, attributes this to a number of factors, including the unique attention on this year's game which, he said, "has become the center of attention for the world of entertainment."
"There was only one new movie and there's been so little momentum in this movie marketplace," he said. "It should come as no surprise that, at least in the modern era, this is the lowest grossing Super Bowl weekend that we've seen."
Dergarabedian added: "I don't think anyone wanted to take a chance releasing a big wide release this weekend."
This week brings two bigger movies to theaters, "Bob Marley: One Love" and "Madame Web," but things aren't likely to pick up significantly until " Dune: Part Two " opens on March 1.
"This is the natural ebb and flow of things for theaters," Dergarabedian said. "The box office will recover."
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "Argylle," $6.5 million.
2. "Lisa Frankenstein," $3.8 million.
3. "The Beekeeper," $3.5 million.
4. "The Chosen," $3.2 million.
5. "Wonka," $3.1 million
6. "Migration," $3 million.
7. "Anyone But You," $2.7 million.
8. "Mean Girls," $1.9 million.
9. "American Fiction," $1.3 million.
10. "Poor Things," $1.1 million.
Lindsey Bahr is an AP film writer
Mike Pierantozzi joins Movers+Shakers as exec creative director
Creative agency Movers+Shakers has appointed Mike Pierantozzi as executive creative director. In this new role, he will help guide the creative direction of Movers+Shakers’ socially-native campaigns. Pierantozzi will report to co-founder and chief creative officer Geoffrey Goldberg.
With nearly two decades of experience as a copywriter, creative director, and multi-platform storyteller, Pierantozzi brings a wealth of knowledge from his work with major brands including Kraft, Unilever, IBM, and Walmart. He has led the creation of award-winning campaigns for agencies like Red Tettemer, Ogilvy, The Brooklyn Brothers, TAXI, Saatchi & Saatchi, and most recently, Vayner, where he spearheaded culturally iconic work for Planters including “Death of Mr. Peanut.” He led the National Down Syndrome Society and Luvs account, whose “First Kid. Second Kid” campaign was awarded by the Effies, ADC, Clios and LIAs.
Outside of the office, Pierantozzi practices what he teaches brands. He’s gone viral multiple times on his own TikTok account, featuring comedic interactions with his son and a trombone. He’s accumulated 15K followers on TikTok.
“Mike brings a rare and awesome combination of deep social and platform experience, a keen eye for excellent storytelling, and a humble and kind approach to leadership,” said Goldberg. “Mike’s got a knack for turning brand stories into cultural movements, making him the perfect fit for Movers+Shakers. He’s got the kind of bold vision and attention to culture that fits perfectly with our mission to push creative boundaries and drive industry firsts. Plus, as a creator himself he has the innate ability to make people stop, laugh, and share--which is exactly what we’re about.”
“I’ve... Read More