‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’ Cracks Billboard’s List of Music Biopics With the Highest Worldwide Grosses
**Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere – A Mixed Reception and Box Office Performance**
The much-anticipated music biopic *Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere* has sparked a range of reactions from critics and audiences alike, resulting in a slower-than-expected box office performance. As of November 16, the film has grossed approximately $40.2 million worldwide, placing it at No. 20 on Billboard’s list of music biopics with the highest worldwide grosses. While this figure may seem respectable, it falls short of the expectations set by the film’s promotional campaign and the enduring popularity of its subject, Bruce Springsteen. Critics have offered mixed reviews, with some praising the film’s introspective approach while others criticize it for lacking the traditional narrative arc typically found in biopics.
Unlike conventional cradle-to-grave biopics, *Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere* focuses on a pivotal moment in the iconic artist’s career rather than his entire life story. The film delves into the period following Springsteen’s commercial breakthrough with *The River*, which featured hits like “Hungry Heart.” This was a time when Springsteen felt the need to create a more intimate, acoustic album, leading to the production of *Nebraska*. Although the album did not achieve the same commercial success as its predecessor, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, it was a crucial artistic expression for Springsteen. This aspect of the film highlights the artist’s commitment to his craft over commercial viability, showcasing his evolution as a musician during a transformative period.
In the context of music biopics, *Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere* joins a competitive landscape, with notable films achieving significant box office success. The article mentions that some high-grossing films about real-life music personalities, such as *The Sound of Music* and *Green Book*, were excluded from the list of music biopics due to their subjects not being well-known music stars in their own right. Nevertheless, the film’s performance raises questions about the appeal of biographical films focused on specific artistic phases rather than comprehensive life stories. As audiences continue to weigh in on the film’s merits, it remains to be seen whether *Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere* will find its footing in the box office or become a cult classic among fans of the legendary musician.
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere
has received mixed reviews from critics, and has gotten off to a
slower-than-expected
start at the boxoffice, but as of Sunday (Nov. 16) it has grossed $40.2 million worldwide, according to
boxofficemojo.com
. That puts it at No. 20 on
Billboard
‘s list of music biopics with the highest worldwide grosses.
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere
isn’t a traditional cradle-to-grave biopic – for one thing, its protagonist is, thankfully, still very much with us. It’s part of a subgenre of biopics which focuses on one fateful period in an artist’s life.
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere
is set in the period following Springsteen’s 1980 commercial breakthrough,
The River
(which spawned his first true pop smash, “Hungry Heart”) where the artist felt compelled to make a low-key, acoustic album,
Nebraska
. All concerned understood that this project wouldn’t have the same commercial potential as
The River
, which had spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. (And it didn’t, peaking at No. 3.) But Springsteen has always been an artist, more than just a hitmaker, and this was the album he wanted and needed to make at that time.
Here are the highest-grossing biopics of musicians in terms of worldwide box office. We didn’t include a few high-grossing films about real-life music personalities because the subjects are not well-known music stars in their own right. These include
The Sound of Music
(which tells the story of Maria von Trapp and the Trapp Family Singers);
Green Book
(which deals with a road trip taken by pianist and composer Don Shirley
)
;
Florence Foster Jenkins
(about an heiress and hopelessly untalented soprano by that name); and
Music of the Heart
(about violinist and music educator Roberta Guaspari). Meryl Streep starred in the latter two films.
Here are the 25 biopics of music stars with the highest worldwide grosses.
