Summary
Abigailhas become a hit on streaming after a disappointing run at the box office. Directed byScreamfranchise veterans Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin,Abigailfollows a group of criminals who kidnap a young ballerina only to find that she’s actually a highly lethal vampire. Barrera, who worked with the directors on twoScreamfilms, leads theAbigailcastas Joey, with Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, Kevin Durand, Giancarlo Esposito, Alisha Weir, and the late Angus Cloud also appearing. Despite the talent involved, the film didn’t quite meet expectations at the box office.
Now, data fromReelgoodreveals thatAbigailranks as the sixth most popular movie on streaming in the U.S. for the week of July 18 – 24. The vampire film, which is available to watch on Peacock Premium, beats the likes ofLove Lies BleedingandThe Beekeeper, but falls short ofGhostbusters: Frozen Empire,Land of Bad, andIF. Check out the full top 10 list below:
Abigail’s 10 Horror Movie Easter Eggs & Vampire References Explained
2024’s Abigail includes various references to other vampire and horror properties, such as Ready or Not, Twilight, Dracula, and Agatha Christie.
Abigail’s Theatrical Performance Explained
Why The Vampire Movie Underwhelmed
Abigail’s reviewswere generally positive from critics, and the film currently enjoys a strong 82% onRotten Tomatoes. The audience score is similarly impressive at 85%. The film was praised for the fun ways in which it subverts and puts new spins on familiar vampire tropes, and for generally being a fun ride with charismatic actors and lots of violence. TheAbigailending, especially, is a blood-soaked experience.
Barrera has expressed interest in anAbigail 2, though there’s been no announcement that a sequel is happening.
Unfortunately, this positive sentiment didn’t translate to box office performance, asAbigailended up being a commercial disappointment. The film was made on an estimated budget of $28 million and ended up concluding its theatrical run with $42.4 million worldwide. Using the standard Hollywood rule of thumb that takes into account marketing and theaters' cuts,Abigailwas probably looking at a break-even point of roughly 70 million, a goal it fell far short of.
One ofAbigail’s biggest downfalls is its relatively high budgetfor its genre. Had the film been made instead at $15 million, a $42.4 million haul would’ve been a modest success. Vampire movies likeRenfieldandLast Voyage of the Demeterwere also box office disappointments, casting doubt on the commercial viability of the vampire movie sub-genre. Clearly, however,Abigailis now finding its audience on streaming, and it’s possible that VOD performance has helped offset some of its theatrical losses.
