The year's worst movie. Even on Netflix, it was a flop
The general consensus is that "Morbius" is one of those comic book adaptations that should never have been green-lit. Its premiere was swamped by a wave of negative reviews, claiming the movie was a cinematic failure even before the emergence of "Marvels".
Expected to expand Sony’s Spider-Man Universe franchise, "Morbius" followed in the footsteps of the Spider-Man movies and the two-part "Venom". Both were significant commercial successes, setting high expectations for "Morbius". Yet, reviewers showed no mercy towards the film.
Owen Gleiberman from "Variety" wrote: "I have no doubt that the film failed at the stage of screenplay approval. Or rather, the approval of the decision to start filming without a finalized script. It feels as if the film crew had nothing more than a barely coherent roadmap".
"Morbius" grossed $167.5 million worldwide during its theatrical run. At that point, it was prematurely labeled a flop, but retrospectively, the film's financial performance should be viewed less critically. The picture cost a modest $75 million, which looks favorable in comparison to "Marvels", which grossed $200 million but cost $220 million.
A few months post-theatrical releases, "Morbius" began streaming. Initially, it was hoped to perform better on digital platforms, where production quality is often perceived to be lower. The VOD license was sold to Netflix in the United States and to Amazon Prime Video in the UK. Yet, everywhere, the interest in the comic book adaptation was shallow.
The film did catch the attention of the Golden Raspberry Award committee, recognized for awarding the Golden Raspberries. Jared Leto and Adria Arjona were awarded in the acting categories.
