Ezra Miller in The Flash
June 18, 2023
Warner Bros. Pictures’ The Flash — starring Ezra Miller in the title role — started fast out of the gate before cooling off with a projected $55 million opening box office through June 18 — significantly less than the previously estimated $70 million in ticket sales. Disney/Pixar Animation’s first new storyline Elemental, generated about $30 million in debut revenue, which was at the lower end of projections, to finish No. 2.
The Elemental opening was lower than previous under-achieving Pixar releases, The Good Dinosaur in 2015, and Onward in 2020, at $39 million each.
Combined, the two movies had a reported production budget around $200 million, which, when including marketing costs, sets a high bar for any profitability.
In addition, Flash’s debut underscores an ongoing underperforming trend among DC superheroes. The title is on track to match Black Adam, the Dwayne Johnson-starrer that failed to generate a sustained box office considering its budget and lead actor. In March, DC’s Shazam! Fury of the Gods generated less than $60 million at the North American box office.
Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse made $8.125 million on Friday, $10.1 million on Saturday and is projected to add $9.575 million on Sunday and $4.62 million on Monday, June 19 — a federal holiday — across 3,873 screen.
Sony is projecting $32.42 million in ticket sales over the four-day weekend ($27.8 million for the three-day), bringing its total domestic gross to $285 million through Monday.
The sequel to 2019’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, pushed its global take through Sunday to $489.3 million worldwide after an international weekend of $27.6 million from 18,700+ screens in 60 markets for an overseas total of $209 million. The movie debuted in Japan at No. 1 to $2.8 million, besting the opening of the original by 82%. Holdover business remained brisk with markets down 48% as a group.
Meanwhile, Lionsgate’s The Blackening, from director Tim Story, took in an estimated $6 million across 1,775 locations. The film delivered in the pre-release range predicted. Driven by its 86% Certified Fresh Rottentomatoes score, the movie is poised to take advantage of the Juneteenth holiday on Monday (4-day $7 million), which plays a part in the storyline.
The studio has a low lift to profitability based in part on a $5 million production, which was acquired from MRC after its world premiere was met with raves at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival.
The Blackening 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.