'Aquaman 2' Bombs Over the Christmas Holiday
by EG
The Marvels, the most recent release in the MCU franchise, was lambasted for its catastrophic opening weekend last month, but this weekend's debut of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was significantly worse. The DC superhero movie took in about 15% less than The Marvels despite having an extra day to tally up ticket sales thanks to the holiday weekend. Those doubters who still think the concept of superhero fatigue is just a "theory" got yet another wake up call with the movie's unenthusiastic reception. Read on for details.
Christmas revenue at the domestic box office is running behind 2022, a sobering stat as Hollywood studios and theater owners prepare to ring out a topsy-turvy year.
As it stands now, combined ticket sales in North America for the marquee holiday weekend (Dec. 22-Dec. 25) are down 7 percent from last year, although the gap could close somewhat if traffic picks up in earnest on Christmas afternoon once presents are unwrapped. (Studios never like it when Dec. 25 falls on a Monday, since many consumers use the weekend to finish final yuletide preparations.)
Either way, James Wan’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is headed for one of the lowest starts in the history of the DC Cinematic Universe with a projected four-day domestic gross of $38 million to $40 million, including $27 million to $28 million for the three days (numbers will be updated Monday morning.) The good news: It can still claim a No. 1 finish. Overseas, it took in $80.1 million from 72 markets — including a promising $30.4 million in China, where it turned in the biggest start of the year for a Hollywood superhero pic.
The big-budget tentpole, reteaming Wan and star Jason Momoa, has been largely rebuked by critics and only earned a B CinemaScore from audiences. The sequel, which faced a troubled road to the big screen, marks the end of an era as new DC chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran are set to reboot the DC Universe with 2025’s Superman: Legacy. (Momoa himself has all but said there won’t be an Aquaman threequel.)
In 2018, the first Aquaman was the king of the year-end holiday when swimming to a three-day opening of $67.9 million over the Dec. 21-23 weekend. Through Christmas Day — a Tuesday that year — its domestic tally was a rousing $105.4 million (that included several million in special sneak peeks the previous weekend). The movie went on to earn $335.1 million domestically and $1.15 billion globally, the best showing ever for a DCEU title, not adjusted for inflation.
Wan’s movie lends further credence to the superhero fatigue theory. Even the most ardent fanboys are weary. Aquaman 2 is also trailing the recent $46.1 million opening of box office debacle The Marvels from rival Marvel Studios.
A slew of other films also opened Friday, and the Warners empire is feeling particularly giving. The studio has no fewer than three year-end holiday event movies: Aquaman 2; Wonka, which opened last weekend; and The Color Purple. It’s a daring feat, to say the least, as the latter two are musicals. (Like The Color People, several other holiday titles waited until Monday to unfurl, including The Boys in the Boat and Ferrari.)
Get the rest of the story at The Hollywood Reporter.