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Justin Bieber's concert film Believe bombs at US box office

The singer's latest film release has earned just $3.1m in its first three days

Jess Denham
Monday 30 December 2013 18:28 GMT
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Is anybody out there? Justin Bieber's Believe is 14th at the US box office
Is anybody out there? Justin Bieber's Believe is 14th at the US box office (Getty Images)

Pop star Justin Bieber's new film has bombed at the US box office with his new concert documentary Believe.

The music film is expected to gross just $4.5 million in its first five days of release, after earning only $3.1 million in its opening three days and currently residing in a disappointing 14th place.

Although Believe is reported to have cost a modest $5 million to make, the movie has been a fraction as successful as his 2011 silver screen debut, Never Say Never.

3D concert film Never Say Never achieved a North American gross of $73 million after opening to $29.5 million - the most successful concert film in domestic history.

But now, the "Boyfriend" singer's fortunes have taken a turn for the worse as Believe is falling far behind documentaries by One Direction, the Jonas Brothers and other popular teen favourites.

Distribution company Open Road Films has noted that Believe is only being screened in 1,037 cinemas across the US compared to 3,100 for Never Say Never, but other concert films that have opened on fewer screens in the past have achieved higher ticket sales.

Miley Cyrus' Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour film, which debuted in February 2008 while she was playing Hannah Montana for Disney, grossed $31.1 million after being shown on just 638 screens.

Bieber's latest release has taken its place among the worst concert documentary openers, after Katy Perry’s Part of Me opened to a poor $7.1 million in 2012.

Open Road's marketing chief Jason Cassidy told The Hollywood Reporter that Believe will be profitable as it's a "new model" that targets Justin's devoted fanbase. "Financially, we are going to be fine," he said.

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Box office analysts have reportedly suggested that Bieber's year of mishaps and controversies has tainted the squeaky-clean image presented in Never Say Never, leading to mother's discouraging their children from attending screenings of Believe.

Bieber tweeted that he was retiring on Christmas Eve and, while the post was a prank, it seems the19-year-old singer's popularity is on the downwards slide.

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