News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Thurs. Feb. 15, 2024: Bob Marley made history in life and in death as a singer and songwriter. On Valentine’s Day, 2024, he did it again – from the grave. Paramount Pictures’ “Bob Marley: One Love” made cinematic history on Valentine’s Day with a stunning $14 million opening across 3,500 domestic locations, marking it as the top mid-week Valentine’s Day debut ever.
UK-born, Trinidad roots actor, Kingsley Ben-Adir, captures the essence of Marley on screen
Boasting an A CinemaScore and a perfect 5 out of 5 rating on Comscore PostTrak, the film is primed for success as it heads into the 6-day holiday weekend. Boxoffice Pro analyst Shawn Robbins projects an opening weekend range of $30 million to $40 million.
Exit polls revealed that an impressive 80% of moviegoers would enthusiastically recommend the film, further solidifying its potential for widespread acclaim. Additionally, “Bob Marley: One Love” currently holds an impressive 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Internationally, the film is set to debut this week in 47 markets, including Australia, Benelux, Brazil, France, Germany, Mexico, Scandinavia, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Subsequent openings in Italy (February 22nd), Korea (March 14th), and Japan (May 10th) are scheduled for later this spring.
The movie focuses more on Robert Nesta Marley, the child and the man, who overcomes tremendous adversity and inner pain and anguish to become the most famous reggae musician in the world.
UK-born, Trinidad roots actor, Kingsley Ben-Adir, captures the essence of Marley on screen as does UK born Jamaican roots actress Lashana Lynch who plays the strong, powerful wife of Bob Marley, Rita Marley. The movie is directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, who co-wrote the screenplay with Terence Winter, Frank E. Flowers, and Zach Baylin, from a story by Winter and Flowers. It is based on the life of Marley, from his rise to fame in the mid-1970s up until his death in 1981.
Bob Marley: One Love premiered at the Carib 5 in Kingston, Jamaica on January 23, 2024 and was released in the United States by Paramount Pictures on February 14, 2024. It received mixed reviews from critics, who praised Ben-Adir’s performance but criticized the film as a “typical biopic.”
Some online critics noted that while “Bob Marley: One Love” may not fully detail every aspect beloved by Marley’s fans, it successfully captures the spirit of Bob Marley, with fantastic sound.
Writing on MetaCritic, JasmineBlue noted: “This film is a respectful, soulful, emotional, and inspirational tribute to Bob Marley. I am livid at the smear campaign and review bombing against this fine film . Kingsley-Ben Adir is sensational and perfectly captured his mannerisms, charisma, and essence . Lashana Lynch was also great at playing strong Rita. Rita Marley and Ziggy Marley were producers on this film . I think they understood Bob Marley better than biased journalists with an agenda. The film wanted to pay tribute to Marley’s music, legacy, and message of harmony & peace. It definitely accomplishes that . Some of the criticisms show such a double standard . Oppenheimer focused on two singular events like this film , but critics lavished praise on that film while using that angle to deride Bob Marley: One Love. I think this film is a good introduction to the iconic Bob Marley; most people don’t know his general backstory.”
See trailer here.
