VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN

Victor Frankenstein

• 
  Rate Movie

  [Total: 7 Average: 1.6]
  
  Genre(s): Drama | Horror

• Directed By: Paul McGuigan
• Written By: Max Landis
• Release Date: November 25, 2015
• Domestic Distributor: FOX
• Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, James McAvoy, Andrew Scott
• 

---

Box Office Info:

Budget: $40 million	Financed by: FOX; TSG
Domestic Box Office: $5,775,076	Overseas Box Office: $28,452,222

There were multiple Frankenstein projects in varying degrees of development at studios and smaller production companies, but FOX decided to fast track Max Landis’ Victor Frankenstein revisionist take on the classic tale.  FOX was very high on this property and was first eying Paul Greengrass and David Yates as potential directors, but began to develop Victor Frankenstein with Shawn Levy — who had helmed the Night at the Museum pictures for the studio.  Levy wanted an extravagant budget, but FOX wanted to keep the costs mid-range and he soon exited the project.  Paul McGuigan was then signed to direct this turkey.

The budget for Victor Frankenstein was $40 million and FOX financed with some capital from TSG — which invests into FOX’s slate of films.  Victor Frankenstein was first dated for release on October 17, 2014 which was a week after Dracula Untold was set to bow, so FOX moved it to January 16, 2015.  The studio then pushed the movie back to October 2nd and then swapped the release dates for Victor Frankenstein and The Martian — where it would finally open over the crowded Thanksgiving frame.  FOX invested in a solid P&A spend and Victor Frankenstein was tracking to haul in a modest $12 million over the holiday.  It was positioned as genre counter-programming against The Good Dinosaur and Creed and the second weekend of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2.

The poorly reviewed film came in way below expectations with a dreadful $3,572,607 over the five day frame.  The weekend gross was $2,469,341 with an $883 per screen average, dethroning Won’t Back Down as the worst opening ever in over 2,500 theaters (at the time of release).  Audiences gave Victor Frankenstein a miserable C cinemascore, which led to a quick demise at the box office.  The pic sank 69.8% in its second frame to $746,834 with a $267 per screen average and promptly lost most of its theater count.  Victor Frankenstein closed its domestic run with just $5,775,076.

Overseas numbers were poor, but there were signs of life in some markets — the offshore cume was $28.4 million.  UK numbers were surprisingly poor with $1.3 million.  The worldwide gross was $34.2 million, leaving FOX with about $18.8 million after theaters take their percentage of the gross, far below their P&A expenses and the budget would be all red.