In a rather lackluster weekend at the North American box office, 'Lisa Frankenstein' failed to make a major impact in its debut. Written by Diablo Cody and starring Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse, the horror comedy only managed to earn $3.8 million, securing the second spot behind the spy thriller 'Argylle.'
Directed by Matthew Vaughn, 'Argylle' claimed the top spot with a modest $6.5 million, bringing its domestic total to $28.8 million over two weekends. Although the $200 million production marks Apple's first major theatrical disappointment, its global earnings currently stand at $60.1 million. The film, distributed by Universal Pictures, was shown in 3,605 locations across North America.
Meanwhile, 'Lisa Frankenstein' was released by Focus Features, gracing 3,144 theaters over the weekend. Set in the 1980s, this teenage reinterpretation of Mary Shelley's classic tale marked the directorial debut of Zelda Williams, daughter of the late Robin Williams. Initial reviews were mixed to negative, with the film receiving a 49% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. AP's Mark Kennedy called it 'a real monster,' criticizing its incoherence and lack of intelligence.
Exit data revealed that the majority of the audience for 'Lisa Frankenstein' was female (61%) and under the age of 35 (71%). Although the film's opening weekend returns were modest, it should be noted that its reported production budget was relatively low, standing at $13 million.
Interestingly, 'Lisa Frankenstein' shares the same universe as Cody's previous work, 'Jennifer's Body,' which was met with lukewarm reception upon its release in 2009. However, over the years, it has gained appreciation and amassed a cult following.
Returning to the box office performance, third place went to 'The Beekeeper' in its fifth weekend, earning an additional $3.4 million. The faith-based series 'The Chosen' followed closely behind in fourth place, generating $3.2 million with the premiere of its fourth season's first three episodes. Finally, 'Wonka' rounded out the top five with $3.1 million.
Overall, this weekend is likely to go down as the slowest of the year thus far in terms of box office revenue. Industry-wide earnings sit at approximately $40 million, down nearly 25% from the same period last year. It's important to note that the Super Bowl was not the sole contributor to this decline, as in pre-pandemic years, this weekend would typically generate over $75 million. The outlook does not indicate a significant improvement until the release of 'Dune: Part Two' on March 1.
