The recently released comedy film, The American Society of Magical Negroes suffered a disappointing opening weekend at the box office, raising concerns about its financial viability. Produced by Focus Features and directed by Kobi Libii, the film managed to accumulate a total of $1,304,270 in its debut weekend across 1,147 theaters in the United States.
Despite its wide release, the movie’s earnings fell extremely below expectations. While the exact production budget remains undisclosed, industry analysts consider these figures alarming for the rest of the film’s theatrical run.
Focus's The American Society of Magical Negroes debuted with an estimated $1.25M domestically this weekend (from 1,147 locations).#TheAmericanSocietyOfMagicalNegroes #BoxOffice pic.twitter.com/ccChYrFtfh
— BoxOfficeReport.com (@BORReport) March 17, 2024
Based on reports and breaking down the weekend earnings, The American Society of Magical Negroes garnered $524,695 on Friday, followed by $469,070 on Saturday, and a further decline to $310,505 on Sunday, marking a 34% decrease from its opening day (Source: Box Office Mojo).
Critically, the film also struggled to impress audiences and critics alike. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a meager 31% approval rating from critics and a slightly higher audience score of 65%. Similarly, Metacritic’s aggregated reviews gave the film a lackluster score of 52/100 based on critics’ reviews, with an abysmal user score of 0.5/10, indicating overwhelming disapproval from viewers.
In interviews addressing the film’s thematic elements, director Kobi Libii explained the concept of the “Magical Negro” trope, popularized by filmmaker Spike Lee. Libii expressed confidence in audiences’ familiarity with the term, emphasizing its portrayal of black characters relegated to background roles without substantial depth. He conveyed hopes that the movie would resonate with marginalized individuals, offering a space for appreciation and recognition.
Justice Smith (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves), one of the film’s stars, highlighted the importance of representation in storytelling, particularly for minority audiences. In discussing the relevance of films like The American Society of Magical Negroes, Smith noted the historical necessity for marginalized individuals to identify with predominantly white narratives, emphasizing the potential for empathy and social progress through diverse storytelling.
Despite the film’s noble intentions to convey a meaningful message about diversity and representation, its underwhelming performance at the box office raises questions about its impact and resonance with audiences, particularly the demographic that it is supposed to be championing.
Can The American Society of Magical Negroes bounce back from such a dismal showing on its first week at the box office? Was the movie effectively marketed as a parody of the trope or did the intentional satirical humor from the title inadvertently hurt its box office chances from the get-go?
