The Steve Carell-starring Welcome to Marwen opened this weekend against some pretty stiff competition, and it hasn't fared too well at the box office. As Hollywood Reporter reports, the Robert Zemeckis-directed drama-comedy pulled in a disappointing $2.4 million across 1,191 theaters.
Welcome to Marwen is expected to lose $50 million for Universal and the other parties involved with the creation and distribution of the film. With an average take of only $1,234 per theater, it now matches Johnny Knoxville's Action Point as the worst opening for a major studio release in 2018. Universal insiders claim the film cost $39 million to produce, but there appears to be conflicting information regarding the specific budget. It's also been reported to be as high as $49 million.
The film follows the real-life story of artist Mark Hogancamp, who suffered severe brain damage after he was almost beat to death in a bar by five men after he told them he enjoyed cross-dressing. With memory loss and not enough money for therapy, he created a model version of a World War II-era town in Belgium, creating dolls within it that represented the people in his life. His work on the miniature town was later discovered by photographer David Naugle, leading to Hogancamp garnering praise for his artwork.
Welcome to Marwen opened alongside Aquaman, Bumblebee, and Mary Poppins Returns. It had the coldest critical reception of the bunch, receiving a 25 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. The dramaz is now Zemeckis' lowest-grossing film in a career filled with heavy-hitters like Back to the Future and Castaway.
