New Dracula Movie Bombing at the Box Office

Barbie is still thriving at the box office, in fact, the film just won its fourth weekend in a row and broke more records. New data suggests many people picked Barbie as their first theatrical experience since the pandemic shut down theaters in 2020. Oppenheimer also continues to do well at the box office and just broke into the Top 10 highest-grossing Rated R films. However, not all of the new releases are having a good summer. The Last Voyage of the Demeter was released this weekend, and it is based on one of the most intriguing chapters in Bram Stoker's Dracula. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be enough to get moviegoers to show up for the horror flick.

The Universal film marks the studio's second Dracula flop of the year. They released Renfield in April, which only earned $26,348,156 worldwide. As for The Last Voyage of the Demeter, the new film debuted in fifth place at the box office this weekend and only managed to earn $6.5 million. Variety points out that the film cost $45 million to make, which is "a moderate figure for a period spectacle," but the opening numbers suggest it won't be making back the budget. 

In addition to having some stiff competition at the box office, The Last Voyage of the Demeter isn't a hit with critics. The movie is currently up on Rotten Tomatoes with a 49% critics score. ComicBook.com's Patrick Cavanaugh gave the movie a 3 out of 5, saying, "The Last Voyage of the Demeter has a number of elements that work in its favor, but these piecemeal ingredients never quite coagulate to reach the premise's full potential."

However, there are a couple of promising sources who are praising the new film. Stephen King tweeted, "I was doubtful about THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER, but it's a throat-ripping good time. It reminded me of the best Hammer movies from the 60s and 70s." Guillermo del Toro posted, "I enjoyed Last Voyage of the Demeter so much: gorgeous, lavish and savage!!"

What is The Last Voyage of the Demeter About? 

Here's how Universal describes The Last Voyage of the Demeter: "Based on a single chilling chapter from Bram Stoker's classic novel Dracula, The Last Voyage of the Demeter tells the terrifying story of the merchant ship Demeter, which was chartered to carry private cargo-fifty unmarked wooden crates-from Carpathia to London. Strange events befall the doomed crew as they attempt to survive the ocean voyage, stalked each night by a merciless presence onboard the ship. When the Demeter finally arrives off the shores of England, it is a charred, derelict wreck. There is no trace of the crew."

The Last Voyage of the Demeter features a cast that's led by Corey Hawkins (In the Heights, Straight Outta Compton) as Clemens, a doctor who joins the Demeter crew. The film also stars Aisling Franciosi (Game of Thrones, The Nightingale) as an unwitting stowaway, Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones, Clash of the Titans) as the ship's captain and David Dastmalchian (Dune, the Ant-Man franchise) as the Demeter's first mate. The film also features Jon Jon Briones (Ratched, American Horror Story), Stefan Kapicic (Deadpool films, Better Call Saul), Nikolai Nikolaeff (Stranger Things, Bruised), and Javier Botet (It films, Mama).

The Last Voyage of the Demeter is now playing in theaters.