Paramount’s “Bob Marley: One Love” struck a chord worldwide during its debut, harmonizing to an estimated $80 million global opening, according to Deadline.
With a strong start in international markets earlier in the week and audiences tuning out critical voices, the film’s international box office tally reached $29 million, surpassing initial projections by a significant margin. It collected $51 million in the American domestic market.
The film opened at No. 1 in 13 markets and set new opening-day records for a music biopic in the UK and France among others.
In Jamaica, it now holds the record for the biggest film opening of all time.
The Top 5 markets to date are the UK (9.3M, second biggest music biopic opening), France ($5.5M), Australia ($2M), Germany ($1.8M) and Brazil ($1.8M).
Further major markets to come include Italy, Korea, and Japan through March.
Starring Kingsley Ben-Adir alongside Lashana Lynch as Rita Marley, and developed with the collaboration of the Marley estate, “One Love” performed comparably to successful musical biopics like “Rocketman” and “Elvis.”
Chris Aronson, Paramount’s distribution chief, highlighted that pre-release forecasts predicted a six-day total closer to $30 million for “One Love.” However, a diverse audience turned out for the biopic, spanning various age groups.
“It was across all generations. It wasn’t just a movie for an older audience that grew up with Bob Marley’s music,” said Aronson. “Our highest quadrant was (age) 18 to 24. A third of the audience was under 25. That, to me, speaks volumes.”
Produced for approximately $70 million and directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, “One Love” follows Marley during the creation of the 1977 album “Exodus” and leading up to a significant concert in his native Jamaica. The film’s producers include Marley’s children, Ziggy and Cedella, as well as his wife, Rita.
Jamaicans featured in the movie include musicians Naomi Cowan, J-Summa, Aston Barrett Jr., Hector Roots Lewis, Sheldon Shepherd, and singer Sevana.
Filming took place in London, where Marley spent those critical years, and Jamaica. The film is being regarded as a pivotal moment for Jamaica’s tourism and film sectors, according to Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett.
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