The children’s book adaptation ofHarold and the Purple Crayonjust had one of the lowest opening weekends of 2024, as the film grossed just about $9 million in its opening weekend. To put that into perspective, that is a fraction of what films likeMadame WebandFuriosa: A Mad Max Sagamade in their opening weekend, andboth are still considered to be box office bombs. While the full budgetary details forHarold and the Purple Crayonhaven’t been disclosed at this time, $9 million is quite a low number for a wide theatrical release, especially with recognizable stars attached likeZachary Levi,Lil Rel Howery, andZooey Deschanel.
The news ofHarold and the Purple Crayon’s less-than-stellar opening isn’t very surprising. For starters, the film is opening just one weekend afterthe record-breakingDeadpool & Wolverine. While that film has a vastly different target audience with its R-rating, it seems thatHarold and the Purple Crayonstill wasn’t able to draw in the families of younger movie fans to the theater. That’s probably because families were flocking to two other hugely successful animated films, those being the Minion-powered chaos ofDespicable Me 4andthe massively over-performingInside Out 2. Plus the film was also opening directly againstM. Night Shyamalan’s new thriller,Trap, and the director has a proven track record of success at the box office.
Harold and the Purple Crayonhas also been struggling on the critical side of things. As of this writing, the film is rating between the twenty and thirty percent range on bothRotten TomatoesandMetacritic. Collider’s ownJeff Ewingpraised the film’s ensemble cast in his review ofHarold and the Purple Crayonbut noted the film’s missteps in terms of the plot. You can read Jeff’s full review ofHarold and the Purple Crayonbelow.
‘Harold and the Purple Crayon’ Review: Zachary Levi Capably Unleashes Magical Havoc
Whatever you thought this adaptation would be, think again.
What is ‘Harold and the Purple Crayon’ About?
An adaptation ofCrockett Johnson’s beloved children’s book,Harold and the Purple Crayonfollows a young boy named Harold (Zachary Levi), who has the ability to create anything using his magical Purple Crayon. As Harold grows up, he wants to explore the real world and finds it a much different place than the world he calls home. As Harold finds some new friends of his own, he also has to contend with a manipulative villain named Gary (Jermaine Clement), who seeks to use the power of the Purple Crayon for his own devices.
Harold and the Purple Crayonis in theaters now. Grab your tickets below.
Harold and the Purple Crayon
A young boy named Harold embarks on a magical mission with the help of his purple crayon
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