The Flash (Warner Bros. Pictures image)
June 16, 2023
Warner Bros. Pictures DC Universe superhero film The Flash is projected to emerge No. 1 in the box office tally for the Father’s Day weekend ended June 18 with almost $70 million in North American ticket sales, according to new data from Box Office Pro.
The movie generated $9.7 million in special Thursday sneak peak screenings.
The movie, starring Ezra Miller in the title role, and Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck as Batman, is Warner’s second attempt to position its DC superheroes as box office competition to Disney’s Marvel Universe following underperforming Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which was released in March to a disappointing opening theatrical debut of $30 million.
The Flash is expected to top Disney/Pixar Animation’s debut of Elemental, Pixar’s first original storyline in years, which is projected to generate north of $35 million in its box office bow. That should be enough to hold off three prior weekend box office champs: Sony Pictures Animation’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (projected $31 million for the weekend), Paramount Pictures’ Transformers: Rise of the Beasts ($22.8 million) and Disney’s The Little Mermaid reboot ($18.2 million).
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Separately, Lionsgate’s The Blackening took in an estimated $900,000 from Thursday night previews (including early access grosses from Wednesday), according to the studio. The film opened wide June 16 across 1,775 screens. Industry tracking is pointing to a three-day weekend in the $6 million to 8 million range — a strong start for the horror film heading into the holiday Monday for Juneteenth. The movie centers around a group of Black friends who reunite for a Juneteenth weekend getaway only to find themselves trapped in a remote cabin with a twisted killer.