In a competitive weekend at the North American box office, DC and Warner Bros.' superhero movie "The Flash" has opened with a promising $55 million, according to studio estimates.
While this sum is reasonable based on general box office standards, it pales in comparison to other superhero movies that regularly break the $100 million mark in their first weekend of release. Despite this, "The Flash" managed to nab the top spot at the box office, triumphing over other new releases such as the Pixar family film "Elemental" and the horror-comedy "The Blackening."
Surprisingly, the weekend's standout was Wes Anderson's "Asteroid City," which premiered in just six theaters but managed to earn the highest per-theater average ($132,211) since the beginning of the pandemic. The movie raked in $720,000, signaling a strong start for the indie flick.
Despite its box office success, "The Flash" faced various complications – not least of which being concerns about the off-screen behavior of its star, Ezra Miller. Over the past year, the actor has experienced several arrests and accusations of misconduct. Miller has claimed that they are seeking professional help for their mental health, and they opted out of participating in publicity events for the movie, except for the premiere.
These issues aside, the studio remained confident in "The Flash," having invested a staggering $200 million into the production. The movie introduces the concept of the multiverse, which allowed for the return of Michael Keaton's Batman, and brought Ben Affleck's Batman back into the mix as well.
Although analysts had predicted that "The Flash" would earn at least $70 million in its opening weekend, the movie is expected to net out at around $64 million over its first four days, including the Juneteenth holiday. It has, however, earned an additional $75 million internationally, bringing its global start to $139 million.
Critics have been relatively pleased with the movie, with a 67% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, CinemaScore audiences only gave the film a B rating, which may be bad news for its word-of-mouth potential and longevity.
Looking ahead, there is a bit of a gap in the schedule before the release of the next major blockbuster, "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," which premiere on June 30th. In the meantime, next week's biggest offering will be the R-rated Jennifer Lawrence comedy "No Hard Feelings" and the nationwide expansion of "Asteroid City."
All in all, while "The Flash" may not have lived up to the sky-high expectations set by other superhero movies, it still managed to make a big splash at the box office.