After four years, Beliebers may finally be growing tired of Justin Bieber.
“Justin Bieber’s Believe” — the second concert documentary featuring the 19-year-old pop star — earned a measly $3.1 million over weekend, and only $4.5 million since its release on Christmas day, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Although the film only cost $5 million to make, the number is especially disappointing when compared to the debut of the last Bieber doc, 2011’s “Never Say Never,” which earned $29.5 million during its opening week.
It also seems unlikely that the film will match its predecessor’s lifetime domestic gross of $75 million. Both documentaries were directed by “Step Up 2: The Streets” and “GI Joe: Retribution” director John M. Chu.
Most troubling for the film might be how the film fared in comparison to the August release of “One Direction: This Is Us.” That concert documentary would gross $15.8 million in its opening weekend, before going onto earning an eventual $28.9 million at the domestic box office, a number that was viewed by many observers as a disappointment.
The film’s $4.5 million dollar opening is even worse than that of “Katy Perry: Part of Me,” which until this week was the most disappointing debut among the recent slate of concert movies. Perry’s film made $7.1 million when it was released in July of last year.
When “Part of Me” was released, box office prognosticators wondered whether parents would be comfortable with their children seeing the film, a problem that might now be dogging “Believe.” While he still had a clean-cut image when “Never Say Never” was released, things have changed dramatically in the last two years.
The young pop star struggled to avoid trouble over the last half of 2013 — including being photographed leaving a brothel in Brazil, allegations that his security team have roughed up photographers and a sudden (and quickly withdrawn) “retirement.”