Summary
The Last Voyage of the Demeter flopped in its opening weekend, making only $6.5 million despite a $45 million budget.
This is the second consecutive disappointment of a Dracula movie, having followed the underwhelming performance of Renfield, starring Nicolas Cage.
Adapted from a chapter in Bram Stoker's novel, this film delves into Dracula's infiltration of a ship and his consumption of the crew as they voyage to London.
The Last Voyage of the Demeter has become the second consecutive Dracula film to fail in its debut weekend. Directed by André Øvredal, known for Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, the movie is an adaptation of the "The Captain's Log" chapter from Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, Dracula. It depicts the events when Dracula (portrayed by Javier Botet) boards a ship traveling from Transylvania to London and begins preying on the crew.
According to Deadline, The Last Voyage of the Demeter had a disappointing opening weekend, starting on August 11. As of now, the movie is projected to earn only $6.5 million by the end of Sunday, a meager amount considering its $45 million budget. This performance is even worse than the $8 million opening weekend of Renfield, another Dracula film that starred Nicolas Cage yet failed to make an impact.
Could The Last Voyage of the Demeter Make Its Money Back?
Although The Last Voyage of the Demeter had a lower opening than Renfield, it also had a smaller budget compared to the Nic Cage film. Renfield had a production cost of $65 million, making it $20 million more expensive. This difference can be attributed to the more well-known cast of Renfield, which included Nicholas Hoult, Awkwafina, and Ben Schwartz.
By the end of its theatrical release, Renfield managed to earn $26.3 million worldwide. Assuming The Last Voyage of the Demeter continues to lag slightly behind Renfield, it is unlikely to come close to recouping its $45 million budget. Additionally, the budget does not take into account the publicity costs for the film, further pushing its profitability goal out of reach.
The Last Voyage of the Demeter is further hindered by its low Rotten Tomatoes score of 45 percent. Achieving profitability in theaters appears unlikely unless viewers heed the endorsements of Stephen King and Guillermo del Toro. The impact of its VOD and home media releases on the overall earnings remains uncertain, considering the significant gap that needs to be bridged.
