The Flash remarkably quickly disappeared from the box office records altogether. The film, which is the latest blockbuster from DC Studios, follows titanic speedster Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) as he reaches an alternate world after traveling back in time to prevent his mother’s murder. The film’s $55 million opening marked the worst second-week drop in the history of the franchise, whose previous films are collectively known as the DC Extended Universe.
Deadline recently shared an updated list of the top 10 films at the domestic box office for this weekend. While several successful blockbusters such as Indiana Jones and the Apertures of Fate and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse were present, The Flash was noticeably absent. The film’s modest domestic take was dwarfed by DreamWorks Animation’s Ruby Gilman’s recent flop Teenage Kraken, which finished tenth this weekend with $2.8 million.
There are several movies in this weekend’s top 10 that came out before The Flash premiered. These include Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (June 9) at number eight, Across the Spider-Verse (June 2) at number five and The Little Mermaid (May 26) at number nine. Given the fact that The Flash needs around $450 million to turn a profit and currently has a worldwide gross of around $250 million, this latest development isn’t good news for DC Studios.
The Flash is the third notable flop for the company in a row. His previous release, Shazam! Fury of the Gods fared even worse, becoming the lowest-grossing film in the franchise with a worldwide gross of $133.7 million. That film was preceded by Black Adam starring Dwayne Johnson, which earned $393.3 million but failed to exceed its huge budget.
The box office for The Flash also doesn’t bode well for the upcoming DC Extended Universe releases Blue Beetle and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. So far it looks like the only hope for reversing the franchise’s financial outlook is the next rebranded DC Universe, led by new DC co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran. Gunn’s highly anticipated film Superman: Legacy, which is set to release in 2025, will likely pave the way for the franchise if it can take advantage of its potential to become a huge box office hit.
Source: Deadline
Major Release Dates:
– Blue Beetle: August 18, 2023
– Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom: December 25, 2023
– Joker: Folie à Deux: October 4, 2024
– Superman: Legacy: July 11, 2025
– The Batman – Part II: October 3, 2025