Bob Marley: One Love has achieved a remarkable milestone at the box office, surpassing $100 million in global earnings within just 10 days. This biopic, produced by Paramount, has seen tremendous success, with Kingsley Ben-Adir delivering an exceptional performance as the legendary reggae icon. The film made headlines on Valentine’s Day weekend by setting a record with $14 million in ticket sales. Its popularity continues to soar, with the movie raking in around $71 million in the United States alone. Paramount has plenty to celebrate, as both Bob Marley: One Love and Mean Girls have performed exceptionally well.
One of the contributing factors to the impressive box office numbers for Bob Marley: One Love is the lack of substantial competition in theaters. Last week, the film faced limited competition from Madame Web, which had received mixed reviews and struggled to generate buzz before its release. Although word-of-mouth may have slightly boosted the Spider-Verse entry, it wasn’t enough to pose a significant threat to Bob Marley: One Love. This week, its main competitor is the new Demon Slayer movie, which appeals to a different audience. The unique blend of circumstances at the box office this year has certainly contributed to the success of Bob Marley: One Love and other films.
Capturing the spirit of Bob Marley during a pivotal moment in his life was the primary goal of this project. Kingsley Ben-Adir, in an interview with MSNBC’s Morning Joe, expressed his deep emotional connection to the film’s concept and his experience working with Bob Marley’s family. The actor was profoundly moved by the family’s pitch for the film and couldn’t turn down the opportunity to be a part of it. Ben-Adir acknowledged the complexity and richness of portraying such an iconic figure, emphasizing that the intention was never to imitate or mimic Bob Marley. Instead, the film aimed to explore his vulnerability and essence during a period when he nearly lost his life, along with the band’s struggles. The creation of a masterpiece, in the form of his music, emerged from this traumatic experience. For Ben-Adir, the film became an exploration of internal safety and peace, echoing Bob Marley’s message of spreading peace to the world.
