The Flash movie is off to a strong start at the box office, earning around $9 million in Thursday night previews. While the critical reception has slightly dipped to 67% on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences are enjoying it with a score of 88%, which is a positive sign.
In other exciting news, Warner Bros. made announcements related to the future of DC movies. Director Andy Muschietti, who helmed The Flash, was officially named the director of the upcoming Batman reboot, The Brave and the Bold. Additionally, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group and Television signed a multi-year deal with Andy Muschietti and his sister producer Barbara Muschietti.
Related content:
Doja Cat fires back with fiery rap single ‘Attention
The Thursday preview performance of The Flash is comparable to other superhero movies like Venom ($10 million), Doctor Strange ($9.4 million), and Aquaman ($9 million excluding paid sneaks). However, it surpasses the preview earnings of Ant-Man ($6.4 million).
It’s important to note that Wonder Woman had a strong Thursday night performance with $11 million, but it had the advantage of being a highly anticipated DC superhero film with Gal Gadot’s star power. The Flash, on the other hand, faced different circumstances, with lead actor Ezra Miller making their debut appearance for the film just four days before its release. The movie’s promotion was also impacted by the absence of late-night TV appearances due to the WGA Strike.
Related content:
Al Pacino, aged 83, becomes a father again as he welcomes a new baby with his girlfriend
The weekend box office projection for The Flash is between $70 million and $75 million. However, if it follows the patterns of Doctor Strange and Venom, which had Thursday previews representing around 30% of their complete Friday+preview earnings, The Flash could potentially reach the $80 million+ range. Venom opened with $80.2 million, while Doctor Strange earned $85 million.
Comparing box office performances, Wonder Woman and Aquaman had different release strategies and timings. Wonder Woman exceeded tracking expectations and opened to $103.2 million, while Aquaman had a strong 5-day start due to the Christmas holiday period, grossing $105.4 million. Aquaman’s final total in the US and Canada reached $335 million.
The Flash has the advantage of the Juneteenth holiday falling on a Monday, which could drive more moviegoers to theaters. However, the performance of previous films released on Juneteenth saw single-digit dips compared to their Sunday grosses.
Related content:
Amber Heard prepares for a powerful return after well-known defamation trial
In addition, Disney/Pixar’s film Elemental also had Thursday previews, earning around $3.5 million. The movie has a strong presence in 3D, PLF, and 4D/D-Box screens, and while projections are modest at $35 million, it could potentially reach the $40 million range.
Overall, The Flash and Elemental have started their box office runs on a positive note, and it remains to be seen how they will perform over the weekend and during the Juneteenth holiday.
