The Flash’s long-awaited theatrical debut over the weekend resulted in subdued box office earnings, well below those of Warner Bros. projections. According to Deadline, the film starring Ezra Miller made $55.1 million domestically in its first three days and $64 million over the four-day holiday weekend in June. Global earnings reached $139 million, which is comparable to Black Adam’s opening in October.
Disney/Pixar’s Elemental also got off to a disappointing start, grossing just $29.5 million domestically and $33.3 million over the weekend, the lowest starting figure for the normally successful animation studio.
A possible reason for the poor performance could be the crowded release schedule, which requires the audience to choose between several films. In April, Super Mario Bros. had the month to itself, doing well at $572 million domestically. However, audiences this weekend were split between films like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, The Little Mermaid, Elemental and The Flash.
Additionally, The Flash faced challenges due to the behind-the-scenes drama starring Ezra Miller and mediocre critical responses. Pixar/Disney also struggled to find a solid base following the departure of John Lasseter. Additionally, with films like Soul, Luca, and Turning Red releasing direct to Disney+, audiences might be conditioned to wait for streaming options.
It’s also worth considering that perhaps neither film was compelling enough to warrant an expensive theatrical visit. The Flash received a B CinemaScore, while only 76% of critics gave Elemental a positive rating for Rotten Tomatoes (although viewer ratings were 92% positive).
On the bright side, Wes Anderson’s limited edition “Asteroid City” put on an impressive performance, averaging $132,000 per theater across six locations in NYC and LA for a total of $790,000.
Looking ahead, there will be a slight hiatus in new releases, with only Jennifer Lawrence’s R-rated “No Hard Feelings” scheduled to open against Asteroid City. However, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will hit theaters on June 30th, followed by Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One on July 12th and Barbie and Oppenheimer on July 21st. The crowded release schedule suggests Hollywood could benefit from spacing out these releases to give each film more breathing room.
Box office results
- 1.) The Flash (WB) 4,234 theaters Fri $24.5m Sat $15.7m Sun $14.9m Mon $8.9m 3 days $55.1m 4 days $64M/week 1
- 2.) Elemental (Dis) 4,035 Theaters Fri $11.8M Sat $9.8M Sun $7.9M Mon $3.83M 3 Days $29.5M 4 Days $33.3M/week 1
- 3) Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse (Sony) 3,873 (-459) theaters Fri $8.1M Sat $10.1M Sun $9.5M $4.6M 3 days 27, $8M (-50%)/4 days $32.4M Total $285M/week 3
- 4.) Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Par) 3,680 (+2) Theaters Fri $5.2M Sat $7.5M Sun $7.2M Mon $3M 3 Days 20M .$(-67%), 4 days $23M, total $103.6M/week 2
- 5.) The Little Mermaid (Dis) 3,480 (-840) Theaters Fri $3.7M Sat $4.4M Sun $3.5M Mon $1.74M 3 Days 11.6M .$(-50%), 4 days $13.3M Total $255.2M/week 4th
- 6.) The Blackening (LG) 1,775 Theaters Fri $2.5M Mon $1M 3 Days $6M 4 Days $7M/Week 1
- 7.) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Dis), 2,260 (-915) Theaters, Fri $1.3M Sat $1.85M Sun $1.85M Mon $750,000 3 Days 5M $(-31%), 4 days $5.75M Total $345.1M/week 7
- 8.) The Boogeyman (20th/Tuesday) 2,140 (-1,065) theaters Fri $1.2m Sat $1.45m Sun $1.15m Mon $550k 3 days 3.8m $(-46%), 4 days $4.35M/total $33.1M/week 3
- 9.) Almost
- 10) Andripurush (Telegu) 550 cinemas, Fri $1.4M, Sat $330K, Sun $220K, Mon $110K, 3 days $1.95M, 4 days $2M/week 1