last voyage demeter box office

Why The Last Voyage of the Demeter Sank at the Box Office

The box office failure of The Last Voyage of the Demeter resulted from many factors, including Christopher Nolan and A24.

The Last Voyage of the Demeter was a box office bomb. In its opening weekend of release, the film, which is based on the seventh chapter of Bram Stoker’s classic 1897 novel Dracula , titled “Captain’s Log,” grossed a dismal $6.5 million and ranked number 5 at the box office. The film fell out of the box office top 10 the following week with $13 million domestic and $21 at the worldwide box office against a budget of $45 million.

Update October 18, 2023: If you missed it in theaters and are looking to check out The Last Voyage of the Demeter this Halloween, this article has been updated with more information as to why the film was a box office disappointment.

The Last Voyage of the Demeter marks the second failed attempt by the film’s distributor, Universal Pictures, to mine Stoker’s novel and revive the Dracula character as part of Universal’s now seemingly doomed classic monster-verse experiment, following the commercial failure of 2023’s campy comedy horror film Renfield , which features Dracula, played by Nicolas Cage, and the Renfield character from the Dracula universe. While The Last Voyage of the Demeter had a modest production, the film was one of the biggest flops of the summer of 2023. Here is why audiences seemingly avoided The Last Voyage of the Demeter.

Are Audiences Tired of Vampires?

Even though the film has its moments , The Last Voyage of the Demeter doesn't offer more than what its source material provides. In this regard, it's very conservative and old-school. Considering how much time it stuck in production, the final product appears to be a contractual obligation that audiences didn't connect with. But is it that specific film, or is it the whole horror subgenre?

If you come to think about it, vampires aren't huge today. They used to be a major draw for audiences, but that was almost a decade ago. In the late 2000s, there was Twilight , 30 Days of Night , True Blood , Vampire Diaries , and Underworld, just to name a few that were satisfying audiences' thirst for vampire stories. Yet now, the most high-profile vampire project is What We Do in the Shadows on FX, and that is a comedic spin on the material.

By this point, audiences will take notice if the subgenre offers something different or something they can consume quickly. Films like The Last Voyage of the Demeter insist on being a passive approach to a widely known story, and audiences aren't keen on Gothic horror the way they were a long time ago. Stories about Dracula or any offshoots present in the original story seem very appropriate for VOD releases and limited theatrical runs, so why shoot for the stars when your product's range is shorter?

Period Horror Is a Tough Sell

The Last Voyage of the Demeter was the only major studio film to be released on August 11, 2023, and attempted to market itself as being like Alien on a ship. However, despite the fact that audiences have shown a willingness to support a wide variety of films throughout the summer of 2023, from the boundless beauty and optimism of Barbie to the thought-provoking drama of Oppenheimer , The Last Voyage of the Demeter , with its relentlessly gloomy palette and tone, fell into a commercial chasm, as the film, which takes place in 1897, appears to be simultaneously too elevated to energize the core horror audience, specifically in the key eighteen-to-thirty-four demographic, and too gory to interest a more sophisticated audience.

The Best Films About Dracula, Ranked

In this respect, The Last Voyage of the Demeter is similar to Guillermo del Toro’s 2015 gothic romance film Crimson Peak , which, despite receiving excellent reviews, compared to the middling reviews for The Last Voyage of the Demeter , was too classical and highbrow in its approach to appeal to a large mainstream audience, as reflected in the film’s disappointing box office performance. Indeed, recent period horror films like Victor Frankenstein and The Wolfman have also been box office bombs.

Of course, one key difference between Crimson Peak and The Last Voyage of the Demeter is that while Crimson Peak was a star-driven film with Jessica Chastain and Tom Hiddleston, The Last Voyage of the Demeter features a virtually unknown cast, as the film’s main attraction is, of course, supposed to be Dracula, whose popular appeal as a horror villain has clearly declined with today’s audiences, which seem to regard Dracula as a genre relic now.

A New Horror Film Was Taking Up The Spotlight

Notably, The Last Voyage of the Demeter 's biggest box office competitor was not Barbie or Oppenheimer, but instead was Talk to Me . The low-budget horror film from A24 had an interesting premise and a wider appeal to general audiences. Talk to Me opened on July 28 and generated positive word of mouth from critics and audiences alike . Factor that and comparing that to the mixed to negative reviews The Last Voyage of the Demeter got, audiences looking for a good scary movie were likely to choose Talk to Me .

By the end of its box office run, Talk to Me grossed $48 million domestically, more than The Last Voyage of the Demeter made in its worldwide box office. Talk to Me worldwide box office was $89 million. Talk to Me also only had a budget of $4.5 million, so it was a bonafide hit.

A Demeter Downer

While The Last Voyage of the Demeter attempts to deflect the bleakness of the film’s story with the addition of new characters and an ending that contains at least a semblance of hope, however symbolic, the depressing and tragic source material nonetheless infuses the film with a feeling of inevitability, even for those people who watch the movie without having first read Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula.

Moreover, for those people who view The Last Voyage of the Demeter with a deep appreciation of both Stoker’s novel and the titular ship’s significance within the book, the inevitability of the story's tragic outcome makes the film, despite its genuine qualities, seem both depressing and pointless, as while the similarly bleak Alien prequel films Alien: Covenant and Prometheus distinguished themselves within the Alien film series by answering long-held questions and posing fascinating new questions, The Last Voyage of the Demeter doesn’t take viewers in any meaningful creative directions that don’t already exist in Stoker’s novel.

The Last Voyage of the Demeter: How Previous Dracula Films Portray the Horrific Tragedy

Indeed, The Last Voyage of the Demeter is much more similar, both in terms of its creative direction and the disastrous commercial results, to 2011’s The Thing , the direct prequel to John Carpenter’s 1982 film of the same name, as the 2011 prequel, much like what The Last Voyage of the Demeter does to Stoker’s novel, attempts to blunt the impenetrable nihilism of Carpenter’s film by introducing new characters, including a potential survivor, whose fate is left unknown at the end of the film.

The Unspoken Oppenheimer Deal

No, this is not about the massive box office domination of Barbie , and Oppenheimer at the box office, although that certainly was a factor that hurt The Last Voyage of the Demeter. This is about a specific factor of Oppenheimer . When Christopher Nolan signed on to make Oppenheimer at Universal, he had it in his contract that no Universal Pictures film could open three weeks before or three weeks after.

One look at the release schedule, and an interesting pattern emerges. Universal released the DreamWorks animated film Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken on June 30, 2023, which was exactly three weeks before Oppenheimer . Ruby Gillman was also a notable flop . Then The Last Voyage of the Demeter hit theaters on August 11, 2023...just three weeks after Oppenheimer opened. This would have made it at the cut-off.

This limited the amount of marketing Universal Pictures could do for The Last Voyage of the Demeter as they put most of their focus on Oppenheimer . The first trailer for The Last Voyage of the Demeter was not released until April 13, 2023, which was just four months before it hit theaters. Universal did not even push the film in their theme parks, which is odd as it is a major motion picture of one of their most famous monsters. They did not even think to give it a presence at Halloween Horror Nights or attempt to build hype for the movie by announcing a maze as they did with The Exorcist: Believer .

It is clear that Universal Pictures sort of gave up on the film before it even came out, and not even the positive endorsement of Stephen King and Guillermo del Toro could save it. Yet, hopefully, now it can find an audience on home video and might become a cult classic.

A Stake in the Heart for Universal's Classic Monster-Verse

The box office failure of The Last Voyage of the Demeter , so soon after the release of Renfield , indeed the seemingly absolute rejection of the Dracula character in the marketplace, would seem to mark the end of Universal’s long-gestating attempt to create a new cinematic universe based on the classic Universal Monsters film series.

Of course, this cinematic universe, formerly known as the Dark Universe, was intended to begin with 2017’s The Mummy , and just as that film’s colossal failure led to the cancelation of the Dark Universe, it’s hard to conceive of a narrative in which this would-be universe, under any name, is restarted in the foreseeable future, certainly with Dracula. Indeed, after The Last Voyage of the Demeter , Renfield , and 2014’s Dracula Untold , it’s hard to conceive of a scenario in which Universal invests in Dracula anytime soon.

Box Office: ‘The Last Voyage of the Demeter’ Sets Sail With $750,000 in Previews

By Brent Lang

Executive Editor

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 “ The Last Voyage of the Demeter ” set sail with $750,000 in previews on Thursday.

Popular on Variety

On the record front, Warner Bros.’ “Barbie” is set to pass $500 million at the domestic box office on Friday. The Greta Gerwig film has already topped $1 billion globally. Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” is also poised to cross the $250 million mark at the domestic box office this weekend.

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The Last Voyage Of The Demeter Sinks At The Box Office During Opening Weekend

"The Last Voyage of the Demeter" is floundering at the box office. 

The summer box office has been relatively healthy for a diverse array of films. Superhero spectacles "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" and "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" have managed to claim top spots at the box office alongside unlikely favorites like "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer." Even horror films such as "Insidious: The Red Door" and "Talk To Me" have managed to soar during the crowded months. One summer hopeful was "The Last Voyage of the Demeter," a throwback horror flick based on an early chapter from Bram Stroker's "Dracula." 

Early reactions to the film's first teaser were positive, with horror fans speculating that "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" could be a prestige vampire classic. Despite an impressive cast, which includes Corey Hawkins and David Dastmalchian, the Dracula flick failed to make much of an impression with critics. /Film writer Chris Evangelista was mixed on the film, praising it for its performances and creature design, but critical of its narrative woes and lack of thrills. "I don't know if I'd call this a memorable take on Dracula, but as a simple little monster movie with plenty of atmosphere, it does the trick," Evangelista wrote, awarding the film a 6/10. Audiences were mostly unreceptive as well, giving the Universal Pictures horror flick a B- CinemaScore . 

Mixed reviews and poor word of mouth have forced "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" to sink at the box office, with its opening weekend haul estimated to be $6.5 million, per The Hollywood Reporter . While numbers can shift as the weekend progresses, it's expected that "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" will debut at the number five spot at the box office, making this Dracula outing dead on arrival. 

The Last Voyage of the Demeter can't handle the competition

Besides "The Last Voyage of the Demeter," there were no major English-language theatrical releases at the box office. Unfortunately, "The Last Voyage of the Demteter's" box office dreams were crushed thanks to on-going competition from reigning box office champions "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer." The Greta Gerwig-directed doll flick, which recently crossed the $500 million mark stateside, is estimated to rake in $31 million this weekend. The Warner Bros. project will come in at number one, continuing its dominance at the box office in its fourth weekend. 

Second place goes to "Barbie" twin flame "Oppenheimer." Directed by Christopher Nolan, the R-rated, three-hour long adult drama is continuing to make an impression with audiences, who are eager to see the British auteur's nuanced take on the father of the atomic bomb. It's estimated to bring in $17 million this weekend — a significant hold from its third weekend cume of $30 million. Nolan's latest is set to gross over $600 million worldwide and, if all goes, well, the biopic could end its worldwide run at $700 million if audience momentum continues in the coming weeks. 

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" will boast a sophomore weekend total just shy of $15 million, while "The Meg 2" is estimated to flounder with a haul of $12.3 million. While there are a number of films vying for the attention of audiences, it's pretty clear that "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" was an afterthought for most, especially when guranteed crowdpleasers like "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" are still occupying precious real estate at multiplexes. With a budget of $45 million, "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" debut is not inspiring confidence, especially for Universal Pictures, who seem eager to dive deeper into their roster of classic monsters. 

Should Universal move on from Dracula?

The less-than-stellar opening weekend haul of "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" must sting for Universal Pictures. While they certainly have IP in "Fast and the Furious" and "Mario" thanks to their relationship with Nintendo, the studio has been struggling to monetize its catalogue of classic horror characters. After the failure of the Dark Universe thanks to Tom Cruise's "The Mummy" reboot, Universal Pictures decided to opt for a more director-focused, narrative-first approach. This paid off immensely with 2020's Leigh Whannell-directed "The Invisible Man," which modernized the H. G. Wells-created character, resulting in a $139 million run that was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

However, Universal Pictures' recent Dracula-focused efforts have been duds. Earlier this year, they debuted "Renfield," a comedy-action flick based on Dracula's assistant. The Nicholas Cage-starring film had no bite at the box office, bombing with a $26 million gross against a $65 million budget. "The Last Voyage of the Demeter," which also features Dracula, is on track to be another bomb for Universal Pictures. With two misfires in a row, is it time for the studio to give up on their monster aspirations? 

Seeing as Universal's very own "M3GAN" and this summer's "Insidious: The Red Door" have done over $80 million worth of business stateside, it might be time for the studio to pause their monster efforts. Or, at least, give their monster-focused films smaller budgets, lessening the chances of them being failures. Universal Pictures'  "M3GAN," and "The Black Phone" all boasted budgets of less than $20 million and managed to rake in over $90 million domestically, proving that the studio doesn't need to shell out big bucks to make horror favorites at the box office. 

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The Last Voyage of the Demeter

A crew sailing from Varna (Bulgaria) by the Black Sea to England find that they are carrying very dangerous cargo. A crew sailing from Varna (Bulgaria) by the Black Sea to England find that they are carrying very dangerous cargo. A crew sailing from Varna (Bulgaria) by the Black Sea to England find that they are carrying very dangerous cargo.

• André Øvredal
• Bram Stoker
• Bragi F. Schut
• Zak Olkewicz
• Corey Hawkins
• Aisling Franciosi
• Liam Cunningham
• 434 User reviews
• 195 Critic reviews
• 52 Metascore
• 2 wins & 11 nominations

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• Trivia Dracula's look is based on Count Orlok from the unauthorized adaptation Nosferatu (1922) . This was also the model for the look of the vampire Barlow in the original Salem's Lot (1979) .
• Goofs At about the 1h35 Wojchek locks himself inside the cargo hold by inserting a wooden board through the handles, but they're sliding doors, so they would still open.

Clemens : I... do not... fear you!

Dracula : You will!

• Connections Featured in YellowFlash 2: FlashCast: Hollywood actors going BROKE from strike! Lizzo DUMPED on a beach! Disney BROKEN? (2023)
• Soundtracks Hangin' Johnny Traditional Arranged by Thomas Newman Performed on Hardanger fiddle by Kathleen Keane

User reviews 434

• Aug 11, 2023
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• August 11, 2023 (United States)
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• Dreamworks Pictures
• Reliance Entertainment
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• $45,000,000 (estimated)
• $13,637,180
• Aug 13, 2023
• $21,786,275

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• Runtime 1 hour 58 minutes
• Dolby Atmos

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A crew sailing from Varna (Bulgaria) by the Black Sea to England find that they are carrying very dangerous cargo.

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The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023)

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As those of you with a decent grasp of horror trivia already know, the Demeter was the ship whose ultimately doomed journey to deliver some especially dangerous cargo from Transylvania to London was chronicled in the seventh chapter of the Bram Stoker classic Dracula . Although this section, running 16 pages in my copy, contains some of the most evocative imagery in that sometimes clumsily written book, the whole episode is not that important to the narrative. It simply illustrates how the title character got from point A to B, and on the rare occasions when filmmakers have chosen to bring this story to the screen, the journey is either reduced to a brief montage or newspaper headline or ignored entirely. Now comes “The Last Voyage of the Demeter,” a feature-length expansion of those 16 pages that fully examines the strange occurrences aboard one of the most doomed sea journeys in literary history.

Upon hearing this movie's premise for the first time, I wasn’t entirely convinced it could work. This would be a film where practically every audience member would not only know exactly what the supernatural force at the center of the story is before the Universal logo hits the screen. But they would also—barring some unexpected deviation from the well-known narrative—know exactly how the on-screen events would play out. To me, it looked like just another attempt by Universal to introduce the character that played such a key role in the studio’s history to contemporary audiences following the misfired likes of “Dracula: Untold” and the recent and dreadful “ Renfield .” That may have been the case, but the results are a big step up from those previous stumbles, an often striking take on the tale that makes up for what it lacks in surprise with a lot of style and some undeniably effective scare moments.

Set in 1897, the film opens as the Demeter is about to set sail from Transylvania to London, carrying Captain Eliot ( Liam Cunningham ), loyal first mate Wojchek ( David Dastmalchian ), his grandson Toby ( Woody Norman ), and a small crew that grows even smaller when some of the locals recruited for the journey get skittish when they see that the cargo contains many large crates being sent by an unknown figure to Carfax Abbey in London. Among those recruited at the last second is Clemens ( Corey Hawkins ), who signs on as the ship’s doctor to get passage home to England. His expertise comes in handy when one of the boxes is accidentally opened, and an apparent stowaway ( Aisling Franciosi ) is discovered with a mysterious malady that requires numerous blood transfusions. 

Soon, strange things begin happening on the ship. All the livestock on board and Toby’s beloved dog are slaughtered throughout one grisly evening. Sailors begin seeing and hearing odd things at night while on watch, and even the ship’s rats appear to have vanished, leading up to the deathless line, “A boat without rats—such a thing is against nature.” The members of the crew soon begin disappearing, driving the already skittish ones who remain further into paranoia that is not helped when the stowaway, whose name proves to be Anna, finally wakes up and informs Clemens and the others that to steal a line from Mel Brooks , yes, they have Nosferatu. As Dracula ( Javier Botet ) continues snacking through the ship, the rapidly dwindling survivors try to figure out how to stop him before they reach London.

The film was directed by André Øvredal , whose previous credits include such intriguing horror-related efforts as “ Trollhunter ,” “ The Autopsy of Jane Doe ,” and the underrated “ Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark .” This time, he is trying to figure out how to tell a story in which everyone in the audience will be ahead of the characters on the screen at virtually every given point. He accomplishes that primarily by focusing heavily on visual style, creating a moody and haunted atmosphere throughout—even during the scenes set in the daytime—that is both eerily beautiful and just plain eerie. "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" is one of the better-looking horror films to come along in a while. The cat-and-mouse games between Dracula and the crew are staged in a manner that suggests a seafaring variation of “ Alien ,” with Øvredal milking scenes for maximum tension before culminating in some nasty business. 

Bear in mind, some of that business is indeed quite nasty—the visualization of Dracula shown here is a particularly grotesque and demonic variation, the scenes of slaughter are definitely gory enough to earn the “R” rating, and not only does the one character you are conditioned to expect to somehow avoid a gruesome demise end up suffering just that, but they also do so more than once. The performances, especially the ones from genre MVP Dastmalchian, Franciosi (so effective in “ The Nightingale ”), and Botet, are all strong and convincing, which helps to raise the emotional stakes to make up for the lack of surprise.

There are two points where the film stumbles a bit. Although the relatively slow and measured pacing employed by Øvredal to generate suspense is mostly effective and preferable to the quick-cut approach others might have taken, a few scenes here run on too long for their own good. Also, the film—Spoiler Alert!—indulges in one of the most irritating elements of contemporary horror cinema, a final scene that exists solely to set up future movies if this one does well at the box office. 

And yet, the rest of the movie works enough so that these flaws don’t hurt things too badly. “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” may not be a classic in the annals of Dracula cinema along the lines of the Terence Fisher's Hammer production “Horror of Dracula,” Werner Herzog ’s version of “ Nosferatu the Vampyre ,” or Francis Ford Coppola ’s “Bram’s Stoker’s Dracula.” But it is a smart, well-made, and sometimes downright creepy take on the tale that both horror buffs and regular moviegoers can appreciate in equal measure. 

In theaters now.

Peter Sobczynski

A moderately insightful critic, full-on Swiftie and all-around  bon vivant , Peter Sobczynski, in addition to his work at this site, is also a contributor to The Spool and can be heard weekly discussing new Blu-Ray releases on the Movie Madness podcast on the Now Playing network.

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Film credits.

The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023)

Rated R for bloody violence.

118 minutes

Corey Hawkins as Clemens

Aisling Franciosi as Anna

Liam Cunningham as Captain Eliot

David Dastmalchian as Wojchek

Chris Walley as Abrams

Stefan Kapičić as Olgaren

Martin Furulund as Larsen

Nikolai Nikolaeff as Petrofsky

Woody Norman as Toby

Jon Jon Briones as Cook

Javier Botet as Dracula / Nosferatu

• André Øvredal

Writer (based on the chapter "The Captain's Log" of Dracula by)

• Bram Stoker

Writer (screen story by)

• Bragi F. Schut
• Zak Olkewicz
• Christian Wagner
• Patrick Larsgaard
• Julian Clarke

Cinematographer

• Bear McCreary

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Box office: ‘barbie’ and ‘oppenheimer’ lead (again), ‘last voyage of the demeter’ capsizes with $6.5m.

'Barbie' scores one of the best fourth weekends of all time domestically with $33.7 million, ahead of 'Spider-Man: No Way' home and just behind 'The Avengers.'

By Pamela McClintock

Pamela McClintock

Senior Film Writer

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Barbie continues to bedazzle everything in its path.

The Warner Bros. blockbuster grossed an estimated $33.7 million at the Aug. 11-13 box office in North America, the ninth-biggest fourth weekend of all time, ahead of Spider-Man: No Way Home ($32.6 million) and not far behind The Avengers ($36.7 million), not adjusted for inflation.

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Sony’s Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story was supposed to have opened domestically, but the pic’s release was delayed by two weeks because of the SAG-AFTRA strike. That meant little competition, considering that Amblin and Universal’s genre Dracula pic The Last Voyage of the Demeter got lost at sea with a dismal $6.5 million domestic opening. Gran Turismo did kick off its international rollout, however, grossing $10.7 million from its first 30 markets.

It was another eventful week for the female-fueled Barbie . Gerwig now ranks as the highest-grossing female director of all time domestically after her movie skated past Frozen II , which was helmed by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck. Gerwig is also celebrating becoming the highest-grossing female director of a live-action movie at the worldwide box office after Barbie passed up Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s superhero pic Captain Marvel , which earned $1.13 billion worldwide in 2019.

There’s more: Barbie will soon pass up The Dark Knight ‘s $534 million to become the top-grossing Warners release of all time in North America after finishing Sunday with a domestic haul of $526.3 million, unadjusted.

Universal’s Oppenheimer , directed by Christopher Nolan , likewise continues to impress in its fourth weekend, earning $18.8 million for a domestic cume north of $264 million. Overseas, it earned another $31.9 million for a huge worldwide total of $649 million, making it Nolan’s fifth-biggest film.

Barbie and Oppenheimer fell a scant 36 and 35 percent, respectively, as they continued to dominate the upper reaches of the chart. Put another way, Barbenheimer is living the dream.

Meg 2 slipped 58 percent to an estimated $12.7 million for a domestic cume of $54.1 million, notably behind the first film at the same point in that movie’s run. The shark sequel is doing far more business overseas, where it bit off another $43.7 million this weekend for a foreign cume of $202.8 million and a rousing $256.9 million globally.

The big downer of the weekend was The Last Voyage of Demeter from Amblin and Universal, although the film’s budget was reportedly capped at around $45 million. It is the second Dracula-centric film of 2023 to have little bite after Renfield , also released by Universal.

Directed by André Ovredal, Last Voyage of Demeter is based on a chapter from Bram Stoker’s classic novel  Dracula about the merchant ship Demeter, which was chartered to transport 50 unmarked wooden crates from Carpathia to London, but there is no trace of the crew when it arrives. Corey Hawkins plays a doctor who joins the ship for its passage. Aisling Franciosi also stars.

Demeter wasn’t expected to be a big August grosser, meaning that summer domestic revenue still has a shot of hitting $4 billion, thanks in large measure to the ongoing strength of Barbenheimer.

TMNT , Meg 2 and the Last Voyage of Demeter underscore the perils of having to open a summer movie amid the dual strikes. WGA and SAG-AFTRA rules prohibit writers and actors from promoting any movie, TV or streaming program from a struck company.

A24’s Talk to Me placed No. 6 in its third weekend with $5.1 million for a domestic cume of $31.2 million, a respectable number for a specialty title.

Angel Studios’ Sound of Freedom crossed the $170 million mark domestically in its sixth weekend with $4.8 million for a cume of $172.8 million.

Aug. 13, 7:40 a.m.: Updated with revised weekend estimates. Aug. 13, 9 a.m.: Updated with revised weekend estimates.

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The Last Voyage of the Demeter

Where to watch.

Watch The Last Voyage of the Demeter with a subscription on Paramount+, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

What to Know

The Last Voyage of the Demeter finds a fresh angle on Dracula's oft-told tale, although lackluster execution often undercuts the story's claustrophobic tension.

A solidly scary Dracula movie, The Last Voyage of the Demeter will reward patient viewers with some intense scenes and plenty of eerie atmosphere.

Audience Reviews

Cast & crew.

André Øvredal

Corey Hawkins

Aisling Franciosi

Liam Cunningham

David Dastmalchian

Jon Jon Briones

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SUNDAY AM WRITETHRU after Saturday AM update : The momentum of Barbenheimer, as well as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem and The Meg 2: The Trench, are propelling a significantly better August than a year ago. The weekend is set to top an estimated $118.5M, +76% from the same frame in 2022 per industry sources.

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What makes the $6.5M opening here for Demeter more pronounced is simply given the fact that it’s the only major studio-wide entry this weekend. Note, we’ve known due to tracking that this vampire ship pic was headed for the cliffs.

Look, Amblin makes these elevated genre mid-budget size movies, not necessarily as thrifty as Blumhouse. There was Captive State, which was made for $25M and was released pre-spring 2019 and fell down with a global gross less than $9M. Amblin had some money in that film, but it was largely financed by Participant.

Then there was the under-$10M horror pic, Come Play, which was released when major movie capitals like NYC and L.A. weren’t opened. That grossed $13.1M WW, and I’m told it broke even thanks to vibrant PVOD during the pandemic, and everyone watching at home. Demeter will have to look to the saving grace of downstream ancillaries. Remember, if there’s anything that theatrical day-and-date taught us, it’s that it’s always better to release theatrically, prop the pic’s profile, bomb, and make money thereafter.

However, this movie is from the genius marketing team who turned M3GAN into a phenomenon when the country was in a deep-freeze this past winter, and whenever a trailer can’t deliver, it’s because there aren’t enough materials in the film for a studio’s marketing team to harness. It’s not marketing’s fault, it’s the film’s fault. At the end of the day, period horror is a hurdle, as it’s too elevated to excite core 18-34 horror fans, and too low bar to pull in sophisticated audiences — even if you have stars (case in point Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak –$13.1M opening, $31M domestic on a $55M production cost). Filmmaker André Øvredal was able to delight back in early August 2019 with a PG-13 young adult movie, Scary Stories (which by the way, it’s set in 1968, which isn’t as period for a horror movie and a turnoff as clipper ship times).

There is a feeling by some close to the film that the studio got cold feet in propping Demeter this summer. However, audience diagnostics are diagnostics coming out of testing, and marketing budgets are appropriately allocated to those stats as studios look to keep a low overhead on a feature heading into the streaming window.

There were champions of Demeter who tried to get the good word out, i.e. del Toro and Stephen King, who praised the pic on social media:

I enjoyed Last Voyage of the Demeter so much: gorgeous, lavish and savage!! — Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) August 10, 2023

I was doubtful about THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER, but it's a throat-ripping good time. It reminded me of the best of the Hammer movies from the 60s and 70s. — Stephen King (@StephenKing) August 10, 2023

In addition to critics who aren’t fans of Demeter, audiences are asleep, too, with a B- CinemaScore and 66% positive on Comscore/Screen Engine’s PostTrak. Guys bought tickets at 62%, 52% of the 18-34 demo was present, and 25-34 year olds were the largest quad at 32%. Diversity mix was 44% Caucasian, 25% Latino and Hispanic, 16% Black, and 16% Asian/other.  Demeter played strongest in the South, South Central and West. The annual income for a part-time entry level worker at McDonalds is higher than what this movie made at the AMC Burbank since Thursday ( Demeter ‘s highest grossing venue) which is under $12.5K so far.

There’s no need for the studio to use the excuse that stars weren’t available to promote because of the SAG-AFTRA strike, for it remains to be seen whether or not they would have moved the meter on this title. The pic’s problems are inherent. As Deadline film critic Valerie Complex points out about Demeter, “The visual palette drenched in melancholic grays and blues are effective in creating atmosphere, but the film falls prey to predictability.” She also observes that her journey on the Demeter “feels longer than it actually is.”

Furthermore, Universal did push Demeter as much as they could. The pic trailered on movies like Indiana Jones and Mission: Impossible in-theaters. The trailer trended #10 on YouTube, generated 90+ press breaks, and garnered more than 61M views. Spots ran on such TV shows as  American Ninja Warrior ,  America’s Got Talent ,  It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia  finale,  Mayans  finale,  The Walking Dead: Dead City  finale, Shark Week,  Big Brother  premiere, and  The Challenge  premiere. On streaming, spots ran on such shows as The Bear ,  What We Do in the Shadows  and  Only Murders in the Building .

In the sports arena, Demeter floated into a UFC 291 PPV sponsorship (including coveted spot right before the match begins, lower thirds, billboards, announcer callouts), NBA Finals Games 2&5, MLB All-Star Game, WWE RAW, League’s Cup, All Elite Wrestling: Rampage, Boxing PPV Spence v. Crawford Sponsorship, UFC Fight Night, NFL Hall of Game. While on streaming, the campaign also had placements in NBC’s NFL streaming coverage and a sponsorship of Peacock’s WWE Summer Slam.

Some trivia: Sony’s Gran Turismo , which was suppose to come out this weekend but was pushed to Aug. 25 because of the SAG-AFTRA strike, has been playing sneaks, just like the Culver City lot promised. I’m told there were Imax early access screenings on Wednesday, regular sneaks on Thursday. Today, there’s a 2 PM at the Regal North Hollywood, LA Live, and TCL Chinese Theatre. Where will the extra money be counted? I understand it will be in the end-running total. The Playstation Studios movie opened abroad with $10.7M from 4,900+ screens in 30 markets. France led all markets with a strong $2.3 million, followed by the UK with $1.3 million. Australia and Germany both launched with $1.0 million.

The chart is updating with Sunday figures, indicated by Saturday and Sunday figures:

1 Barbie (WB) 4,178 theaters – Fri $10M (-38%) Sat $13.2M Sun $10.5M , 3-day $33.7M (-36%), Total $526.3M /Wk 4

2) Oppenheimer (Uni) 3,761 (+149) theaters, Fri $5.1M (-39%) Sat $7.6M Sun $6.1M 3-day $18.8M (-35%), Total $264.2M /Wk 4 Pic’s Imax weekend is $5.5M raising its total in the large format’s theaters to $75.8M. That’s the highest ever IMAX Domestic result for a Nolan title, as well as the 4 th  highest IMAX Domestic result of all time.

3) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Par) 3,950 theaters (+92), Fri $4M (-56%), Sat $6.3M Sun $5.4M 3-day $15.7M (-44%), Total $72.7M /Wk 2

4) The Meg 2 (WB) 3,604 theaters (+101), Fri $3.5M (-71%) Sat $5.4M Sun $3.8M 3-day $12.7M (-58%), Total $54.5M/ Wk 2

5) Last Voyage of the Demeter (Amb/Uni) 2,715 theaters, Fri $2.62M Sat 2.26M Sun $1.64M 3-day $6.5M /Wk 1

6) Haunted Mansion (Dis) 2,860 theaters (-880) Fri $1.5M (-44%) Sat $2.4M Sun $1.6M 3-day $5.6M (-39%), Total $52.8M /Wk 3

7) Talk to Me (A24) 2,379 theaters (+9), Fri $1.5M (-21%) Sat $2M Sun $1.6M 3-day $5.1M (-23%) Total $31.3M /Wk 3

8) Sound of Freedom (Angel) 2,803 (-172) theaters, Fri $1.3M Sat $1.9M Sun $1.5M 3-day $4.83M (-36%), Total $172.8M /Wk 7

9) Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning (Par) 2,135 (-287) theaters Fri $1.24M (-34%) Sat $1.95M Sun $1.47M 3-day $4.66M (-29%) /Total $159.55M /Wk 5 In the run-off between very expensive tentpoles this summer, Mission: Impossible raises its global take to $522.4M to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny ‘s $370.6M.

10) Jailer (Indin) 450 theaters, Fri $774K Sat $995K Sun $731K 3-day $2.5M Total $4.1M /Wk 1 This action comedy in126 markets put up some big numbers in Seattle, Dallas, San Francisco, Austin, NYC, Chicago and LA.

FRIDAY EVENING: We told you earlier the Greta Gerwig directed Barbie is crossing $500M today. As of Tuesday, the film became the highest ever at the domestic box office for a female director, besting Frozen II ‘s $477.4M, which was co-directed by Jennifer Lee. Barbie is crossing $1.13 billion worldwide today, also delivering another box office record to Gerwig, as the pic became the highest grossing live-action pic from a female filmmaker on a global basis, besting Captain Marvel ‘s $1.13 billion, that title co-directed by Anna Boden.

Barbie crosses the half billion point stateside in 22 days, faster than Top Gun: Maverick (30 days) and Super Mario Bros Movie (31 days). Barbie is only one of 20 titles to ever cross half billion at the domestic box office. She’s set to lead the U.S./Canada box office with $30M this weekend.

RelishMix’s report on Demeter ‘s online chatter before opening: “It runs mixed-leaning-positive, as horror fans are applauding Dracula’s ‘badass’ makeover and thrilled that vampires are getting their fangs back, shedding their softer, more cuddly recent depictions. The R-rating is also adding to the anticipation, promising a darker, more intense experience. Aisling Franciosi, has won some hearts from her previous work (GOThrones) — where are a few grumbles about the vampire’s big reveal in the trailer and the film’s dark cinematography, but this isn’t dampening the general enthusiasm — with some jabs about the CGI, while most threads steer positive.”

Here’s the chart:

1 Barbie (WB) 4,178 theaters – Fri $10M (-38%), 3-day $30M (-43%), Total $522.6M /Wk 4

2) Oppenheimer (Uni) 3,761 theaters, Fri $5M (-40%), 3-day $16.8M (-42%), Total $262.2M /Wk 4

3) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Par) 3,950 theaters, Fri $3.9M (-57%), 3-day $14.1M (-50%), Total $71.1M /Wk 2

4) The Meg 2 (WB) 3,604 theaters, Fri $3.5M (-71%) , 3-day $12M (-60%), Total $53.5M/ Wk 2

5) Last Voyage of the Demeter (Amb/Uni) 2,715 theaters, Fri $2.65M 3-day $6.5M /Wk 1

FRIDAY AM UPDATE : The only new wide release this weekend is Amblin’s period Dracula horror pic The Last Voyage of the Demeter being distributed by Universal. It made $750K last night in previews from showtimes that began at 5PM in 2,350 theaters in what is expected to be an underwhelming 3-day single digit million result for the $45M feature production. The R-rated pic expands to 2,715 theaters today.

That preview result is in the vicinity of last August’s vampire horror movie, The Invitation, which did $775K in previews, a $6.8M opening and $25.1M final domestic.

Why is this period horror film on the calendar? Because it’s from horror filmmaker André Øvredal. He excited the early August box office back in 2019 with Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. That movie from the shuttering CBS Studios label did an amazing $2.3M in previews for what turned out to be a $20.9M No. 2 opening in the face of the second weekend of Hobbs & Shaw. The sleeper PG-13 horror pic did close to $69M in U.S./Canada and $104.5M WW on what was a $25M production cost.

You’ll remember, Sony’s Gran Turismo moved off this date and opted for two weeks of sneaks before an Aug. 25 launch in an effort to build word of mouth for the feature take of the Sony Playstation game. No bother, as Warner Bros’ Barbie is expected to reign supreme in weekend 4 with $31.8M as she heads for half-billion stateside today. The Greta Gerwig-directed feature take of the Mattel toy has already cracked the $1 billion worldwide box office mark with just under $32M from China. Barbie did $7.1M yesterday at 4,178 theaters, -3% from Wednesday, for a running total through three weeks of $492.6M .

With more theatrical release date changes expected for the rest of 2023, one distribution head wisely remarked this week, “Watch Barbie and Oppenheimer play through Thanksgiving.”

Some box office trivia: Oppenheimer  became the highest grossing film at Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theatre in the venue’s 97-year history hiting $1.53M on Wednesday. That beats the previous record at the venue set by 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens  which earned $1.51M after 15 weeks of release.  Oppenheimer  has been extended at the TCL Chinese Theatre in IMAX 70mm film through the end of August.

“It’s been a historic run for us at the TCL Chinese with weeks of sold-out shows. We’ve added 6am shows for the last four weekends to satisfy audience demand,” says Brett Fellman, executive with the TCL Chinese Theatres. 

Paramount’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem should also be down around 40% for a near $17M second weekend. Through its first nine days, the Nickelodeon/Point Grey animated pic did $57M at 3,858 theaters. Turtles did $2.7M yesterday, even with Wednesday.

Warner Bros’ The Meg 2: The Trench is eyeing a 60% decline in weekend two for $12M . Week one for the surprise No. 2 pic last weekend is $41.4M . Thursday was $2.1M, -3% from Wednesday, in fourth place for the day at 3,503.

Disney’s Haunted Mansion , booked at 3,740 theaters, made an estimated $1M, +2% from Wednesday for a two-week running total of $47.2M .

The Tamil language action comedy Jailer from Nelson Dilipkumar opened in 375 theaters on Wednesday doing an estimated $961K , followed by $627K yesterday for a two-day of $1.58M . Logline: A retired jailer goes on a manhunt to find his son’s killers. But the road leads him to a familiar, albeit a bit darker place. Can he emerge from this complex situation successfully?

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The Last Voyage Of The Demeter Sails Into A Doomed Opening Weekend At The Box Office

There are ominous clouds gathering over the opening weekend of "The Last Voyage of the Demeter," which is rather appropriate for a film about a ship's crew who are doomed to become a mid-journey vampire snack. Made for a steep (for a horror movie) budget of $45 million, "Last Voyage of the Demeter" is set to fall short of expectations that were already set very low. Though Variety reported in the wake of Thursday previews ($750,000) that the film was heading for an opening weekend between $7 million and $9 million, Friday's numbers are now pointing to a debut of just $6.5 million, per The Hollywood Reporter .

Based on a chapter from Bram Stoker's "Dracula," the film was directed by André Øvredal, who has some great horror movies already under his belt, including "Troll Hunter," "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark," and "The Autopsy of Jane Doe." But mixed reviews indicate that "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" is more of a miss than a hit for Øvredal, and the marketing has been pretty underwhelming. Turns out, not every movie trailer can pull off a "Smashing Pumpkins" needle drop the way "Watchmen" did.

In terms of direct competition, it's hard to make excuses for "The Last Voyage of the Demeter." Yes, the reign of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" continues, but Australian indie horror "Talk to Me" managed a $10 million debut a couple of weeks ago despite a crowded release slate. In fact, "Talk to Me" grossed almost as much in its second weekend ($6.3 million) as "Last Voyage of the Demeter" is set to make at launch (and was produced for one-tenth of the budget). So, what strange malady has afflicted this vessel?

Dracula fatigue?

This isn't the first time this year that Universal Pictures has milked Dracula's tiny bat nipples. If you're feeling a sense of déjà vu, it might be because "Renfield" — another horror movie with an oversized budget that honed in on a minor aspect of Bram Stoker's original novel — similarly bombed at the box office when it hit theaters in April 2023. After kicking things off with an anemic $8.1 million opening weekend, "Renfield" finished its box office run with $26.3 million worldwide, falling far short of meeting its $65 million production budget, let alone breaking even after marketing and distribution costs.

"Renfield" did perform particularly weakly overseas, and until international numbers come in for "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" we can't be sure of its overall trajectory. "The Pope's Exorcist," for example, had a similar opening weekend to "Renfield" but grossed three times as much globally by the time it left theaters (presumably thanks to the power of Russell Crowe's flawless Italian accent ). 

The back-to-back flopping of "Renfield" and "Demeter" doesn't exactly bode well for Universal's next "Dracula"-adjacent movie, Robert Eggers' remake of "Nosferatu." Eggers' reputation as a director and the presence of Bill Skarsgård, whose Pennywise was a winning ingredient in the recent adaptations of Stephen King's "It," as Count Orlok might be enough to draw audiences in, but overall it seems like audience appetites for vampire movies are low right now. Perhaps it's time for Dracula to take a nice long slumber.

'Abigail' Surpasses Universal's Last Two Vampire Films at the Box Office

The film is now playing in theaters.

The Big Picture

• Abigail surpassed box office milestones, earning more globally than previous vampire films Renfield and The Last Voyage of the Demeter.
• Universal's previous attempts to revitalize the Dracula franchise were box office failures due to audience disinterest in the vampire genre.
• Despite positive critical reception, Abigail still needs to recoup its $28 million budget; Universal may move away from the vampire genre in the future.

Universal’s latest monster film Abigail just passed a milestone at the box office this week. According to a recent report from Bloody Disgusting , the latest vampire flick has earned a total of $28.5 million worldwide so far, officially surpassing the global hauls of last year’s Renfield and The Last Voyage of the Demeter , which earned $26.4 million and $21.7 million, respectively.

Following the critical and financial success of The Invisible Man in 2020, Universal attempted to revitalize the Dracula franchise last year with the release of Renfield , which served as a comedy, and The Last Voyage of the Demeter , a more straightforward horror movie. However, both films would end up becoming box office bombs, which could be attributed to an overall lack of audience interest in the vampire genre. Because of this, it will be interesting to see how Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu remake will perform during the holiday season later this year.

Unlike the aforementioned films though, Abigail debuted as a critical hit, receiving an 83% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes . Carrying a $28 million budget, Abigail still has a big hill to climb if it wants to break even. However, word of mouth continues to remain strong, with the movie only dropping 49.5% on its second weekend. The positive reception will likely help carry the film’s legs in the upcoming weeks until it debuts digitally sometime soon. But needless to say, it’s likely Universal will steer away from Dracula and the vampire genre in the near future as they continue to revitalize their classic monsters, which continues next year with the release of Wolf Man .

‘Abigail’ Serves as a Modern Spin on a Classic Universal Monster Character

Serving as a modern re-imagining of the 1936 film, Dracula’s Daughter , Abigail centers on a group of criminals who kidnap the daughter of a powerful underworld figure and hold her for ransom. However, they soon end up getting more than they bargained for as there is something more sinister than what appears, and soon the would-be kidnapping becomes the ultimate fight for survival. The film stars Alisha Weir as the titular character alongside Melissa Barrera , Dan Stevens , Kathryn Newton , Kevin Durand , Will Catlett , Angus Cloud , and Giancarlo Esposito . Radio Silence duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett direct the film, which is written by Stephen Shields and Guy Busick .

Abigail is now playing in theaters.

Abigail (2024)

After a group of criminals kidnap the ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, they retreat to an isolated mansion, unaware that they're locked inside with no normal little girl.

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Box office preview: ‘The Last Voyage of the Demeter’ and ‘Jules’ will battle against ‘Barbenheimer’

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

There are two new wide or semi-wide releases this weekend, “The Last Voyage of the Demeter ” and “Jules,” but how many moviegoers will actually buy tickets with so many other stronger contenders still in theaters? Read on for Gold Derby’s box office preview.

Before we get to the new movies this week, we probably should address the “Barbenheimer” in the room. There’s very little doubt that “Barbie” can pull off a rare fourth weekend at #1 with upwards of $32 million or more after holding up so well against “Meg 2” and the “Ninja Turtles” this past weekend . Christopher Nolan ’s “Oppenheimer” also has a good chance at reclaiming second place, since it’s likely to have a smaller drop-off this weekend than both of last week’s new movies.

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“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” was just two million behind “Meg 2: The Trench” over the weekend but received much better reviews and a higher CinemaScore , so we can probably expect it to hold up better and take third place, leaving fourth place for “Meg 2.”

That brings us to the first of the new wide releases, and that is Universal Pictures’ “The Last Voyage of the Demeter,” directed by André Øvredal (“Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark”). It’s based on the section of Bram Stoker ’s “Dracula” where the vampire travels by ship from Romania to England to continue his reign of terror. In this case, Dracula (or “Nosferatu,” going by the 1922 silent classic starring Max Schreck ) is played by creature performer and actor Javier Botet .

The crew of the Demeter – that’s the name of the ship – includes Corey Hawkins from “Straight Outta Compton” as a British doctor hoping to get a trip back home, while the captain is played by veteran actor Liam Cunningham (“Game of Thrones”) and his young son is played by Woody Norman (“C’mon C’mon”). Other known names and/or faces include David Dastmalchian (“Ant-Man,” “The Boogeyman”) as the ship’s first mate and Irish-Italian actress Aisling Franciosi (also “GoT”) as a stowaway.

While the movie definitely has the Dracula thing going for it and being dark horror by a fairly well-respected genre filmmaker like Øvredal, it’s also a period gothic horror film, which tend to be a tougher sell to American audiences. Case in point: 2012’s “The Woman in Black,” starring Daniel Radcliffe , opened shortly after the end of his “Harry Potter” run with $20.9 million in early February; its 2015 sequel sans Radcliffe earned roughly half the original film’s domestic take. The 2018 gothic horror film “Winchester” (also from the now defunct CBS Films) opened on the same weekend as “Woman in Black” with just $9.3 million and grossed less than $46 million worldwide.

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Earlier this year, the Dracula horror-comedy spin-off “Renfield,” starring Nicholas Hoult and  Nicolas Cage as Dracula, bombed quite badly, opening with just $8 million, so it’s odd for Universal to be releasing another Dracula spin-off (essentially) so soon.

There’s a good chance that a movie like “Demeter” can do well in European and other international countries, but Universal is only opening the movie in roughly 2,600 North American theaters, maybe realizing it would be a tougher sell. Reviews (which won’t hit until Thursday) probably won’t be so kind for various reasons I won’t break embargo to share, but those things alone might keep “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” from opening over $10 million. Because of that, it’s likely to open in fifth place behind last week’s rejiggered top four.

Filmmaker Marc Turtletaub , who received an Oscar nomination for producing “Little Miss Sunshine,” directs “Jules,” a smaller indie comedy starring Sir Ben Kingsley as a small-town Pennsylvania resident who encounters an alien after his craft crash lands in his garden. Bleecker Street Films will be releasing the movie moderately wide on Friday, also in an attempt to try to grab older adult business away from “Oppenheimer” mostly.

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Turtletaub previously directed the Sundance drama “Puzzle,” starring Kelly McDonald and late Bollywood great Irrfan Khan , but that movie didn’t even make $2.3 million worldwide, which is not a good sign that the producer of so many huge hits picks the best material to direct. (Turtletaub previously wrote “Gods Behaving Badly” and two short films, but he didn’t write either of his most recent features.)

Although Kingsley probably has a decent draw with older audiences, as does his co-star, Jane Curtin , a veteran from the early days of “Saturday Night Live,” there’s no theater count reported for “Jules,” as of this writing. Without having a presence in more than 1,000 theaters, there’s no guarantee this can even get into the Top 10, making something closer to the $2 million opening for the Bleecker Street release “Mafia Mamma” earlier this year, but probably less.

Also, Cohen Media Group will give a platform release to Juliet Binoche ’s latest film “Between Two Worlds,” directed by Emmanuel Carrère . Check back on Sunday to see if the new movies fare better against the late summer blockbusters.

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Bill Skarsgård's New Horror Movie Can Redeem The Monster Of A 2023 Bomb

• Bill Skarsgård's Nosferatu could redeem the failures of past vampire movies, offering a fresh take on the iconic horror villain.
• The upcoming remake focuses on Count Orlok and the eerie atmosphere of the original, promising a spine-chilling experience for fans.
• With Robert Eggers at the helm, expect a visually stunning film that pays homage to the classic while bringing a new twist to the vampire genre.

Bill Skarsgård is quickly becoming one of the first names in horror, and his latest monster movie Nosferatu could redeem a specific 2023 horror flop. Nosferatu 's disturbingly creepy Count Orlok in the gothic vampire tale from director Robert Eggers will not be the first vampire Bill Skarsgård has played , but it could be his most iconic horror role since Pennywise in the 2017 remake of Stephen King's It . However, it's a more recent vampire movie that stands as the most direct comparison to Nosferatu , and its failure could be redeemed by Nosferatu 's anticipated success.

While details like Nosferatu 's release date have been revealed, there has been very little news regarding the movie's plot. Obviously it will borrow heavily from the 1922 German Expressionist film that it's based upon, but with Robert Eggers' unique attention to period detail and spine-tingling imagery added into the mix. The story behind Nosferatu , and its lead character Count Orlok, are based heavily on Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula , and it's the failure of another Dracula -related vampire movie that Nosferatu could atone for when it debuts in December 2024.

Nosferatu: Bill Skarsgrd's Vampire Terrorizes Lily-Rose Depp In Horror Remake's CinemaCon Footage

Nosferatu can redeem 2023's the last voyage of the demeter, skarsgård's character is closer to the 2023 movie's version of dracula..

2023's The Last Voyage of the Demeter focused on a specific chapter of Bram Stoker's Dracula , titled "The Captain's Log". It's the story of how the boat that ferried Dracula from his home in Transyvania to London, England came to be deserted when it arrived at port. The 2023 movie starred Corey Hawkins, Aisling Franciosi, David Dastmalchian, and Liam Cunningham, and despite its sizable budget ($45 million) and recognizable cast, it was a disaster at the box office . The Last Voyage of the Demeter mustered just $21.8 million, which is partially owed to its poor critical reception.

Javier Botet's vampire creature in The Last Voyage of the Demeter was actually mentioned as both Dracula and Nosferatu in the movie's credits.

Bill Skarsgård will play the villainous Count Orlok in Nosferatu , and his pale, long-fingered vampire comes far closer to the creature depicted in Demeter than Bela Lugosi's traditional Eastern European nobleman from 1933. While the new movie's story will not compare entirely to Demeter , it still looks like it will evoke similar story elements, such as Orlok's stalking of his prey (Lily Rose-Depp's Ellen Hutter). Bill Skarsgård's horror roles have by and large been successful over the years, so he stands a great chance of redeeming The Last Voyage of the Demeter by collaborating with Robert Eggers.

Bill Skarsgård's Nosferatu Can Break The Recent Run Of Bad Vampire Movies

The last voyage of the demeter is not the only recent vampire box office bomb..

Nosferatu can redeem more than just The Last Voyage of the Demeter ; the entire vampire subgenre has suffered in recent years when it comes to big-budget success. Many recent vampire movies have been astounding disappointments at the box office, with very few big-budget efforts failing to register with critics either. For example, the vampire Morbius produced one of the lowest Rotten Tomatoes scores ever for a Marvel character. Nicolas Cage and Nicholas Hoult's Dracula movie Renfield was also a critical disaster, and Jamie Foxx's $100M Netflix vampire hunter movie Day Shift received middling reviews at best.

While the recently-released Abigail has been a hit with critics, financially it has continued the disappointing box office trend for horror movies . Nosferatu can go a long way towards reviving vampires in modern horror , which is sorely needed at the general box office despite a number of smaller-scale films being considered hits. Bill Skarsgård's status as a go-to horror star should certainly help make sure that his Count Orlok becomes a new classic horror villain when Nosferatu hits theaters.

Nosferatu (2024)

Nosferatu is a remake of the 1922 silent film of the same name from director F. W. Murnau. Robert Eggers is crafting his own version of the story for the reboot as writer and director, with Bill Skarsgård stepping into the shoes of Count Orlok. Nosferatu tells the tale of a young woman who falls victim to a vampire utterly infatuated with her.

Director Robert Eggers

Release Date December 25, 2024

Studio(s) Regency Enterprises , 1492 Pictures

Distributor(s) Focus Features, Universal Pictures

Writers Robert Eggers

Cast Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nicholas Hoult, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney, Willem Dafoe, Lily-Rose Depp, Bill Skarsgard

Genres Mystery, Horror, Fantasy

‘Abigail’ Just Outgrossed Fellow Universal Monsters Vampire Movies ‘Renfield’ and ‘Demeter’

Now in its second week of release, the Radio Silence-directed Abigail is the third Universal Monsters vampire movie released in the last year, coming along in the wake of period piece The Last Voyage of the Demeter and horror-comedy Renfield . All three films have struggled at the box office, but Abigail at least has some good news to celebrate this week.

Renfield came along first in April 2023, ending its run with $26.4 million, while Last Voyage of the Demeter ended its own run with a mere $21.7 million. The vampire ballerina movie Abigail has already outgrossed both films, hitting $28.5 million at the worldwide box office this week.

The bad news is that Abigail ‘s reported production budget was $28 million, so it seems unlikely to make a profit at the box office when you factor in the marketing spend and everything else on top of that figure. And that’s especially a bummer because Abigail is such a crowd-pleasing good time , with most horror fans agreeing that it’s one of this year’s best movies thus far.

The Universal Monsters brand has been struggling in the wake of Leigh Whannell’s hit The Invisible Man back in 2020, with these smaller spinoff movies failing to make their mark at the box office. Maybe it was never a good idea to release three low-key Dracula movies within the span of a single year, or maybe audiences just aren’t into vampires in general right now.

Whatever the case may be, Universal was smart to re-team with Whannell for a reimagining of the Wolf Man , which is howling its way into theaters in 2025. There’s a good chance that movie will blow the box office totals of Demeter , Renfield and Abigail out of the water, especially since it’s been a while since a Hollywood werewolf movie roared its way onto the big screen.

In the meantime, we expect Abigail will be coming home soon. Stay tuned for a date.

In  Abigail , “After a group of would-be criminals kidnap the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, all they have to do to collect a $50 million ransom is watch the girl overnight. In an isolated mansion, the captors start to dwindle, one by one, and they discover, to their mounting horror, that they’re locked inside with no normal little girl.”

Writer in the horror community since 2008. Editor in Chief of Bloody Disgusting. Owns Eli Roth's prop corpse from Piranha 3D. Has four awesome cats. Still plays with toys.

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‘MaXXXine’ – Mia Goth Takes Hollywood in New Image from Ti West’s Sequel

One of this summer’s most hotly anticipated new movies is A24 and Ti West’s MaXXXine , a follow-up to X  and  Pearl that brings Mia Goth’s title character into the 1980s.

With her past catching up to her, Maxine attempts to make it big as a superstar in Hollywood, 1985. While you wait, check out a new image below courtesy of USA Today  this week.

Releasing in theaters on July 5, 2024 , MaXXXine is rated “R” for…

“Strong violence, gore, sexual content, graphic nudity, language and drug use.”

If you missed the official trailer, you can watch it right here .

Mia Goth stars alongside  Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Halsey, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito  and  Kevin Bacon  in  MaXXXine .

Here’s the official plot synopsis from A24 this week: “In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.”

Last we saw Maxine in Ti West’s  X  (2022), she was the sole survivor of a massacre carried out by elderly couple Howard and Pearl in the Summer of ’79. Goth of course pulled double duty as the villain Pearl in that movie, who got her own origin story in  Pearl  (2022). Pearl and Maxine are different characters, but they share the common goal of wanting to be stars.

Will Maxine finally make it in Hollywood? Or will the demons of her past become her ultimate downfall? With the  Night Stalker  roaming free, we expect  MaXXXine  to get wild this summer.

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