“Black Adam” has experienced a less-than-heroic reception at the box office, amassing only $387 million worldwide over seven weeks in theaters.
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While this may seem like a substantial figure, especially in the challenging context of the COVID era, where movies of various genres are grappling to achieve pre-pandemic box office numbers, it’s crucial to note that the production cost of “Black Adam,” a comic book adventure featuring Dwayne Johnson as a villain seeking to alter the “hierarchy of power” in the Warner Bros. DC universe, was a hefty $195 million. Given that Johnson, one of the world’s biggest movie stars, portrays a character against his typical heroic roles, a substantial global marketing expenditure of $100 million was deemed necessary by industry experts. However, insiders at Warner Bros. argue that pandemic-related box office limitations prompted the studio to curtail the global advertising campaign to $80 million.
you are watching: Box Office Bust: ‘Black Adam’ Faces Theatrical Losses
Consequently, insiders familiar with the financials indicate that the film needed to rake in approximately $600 million globally to cover costs and surpass that ambitious benchmark for profitability. However, industry analysts predict that “Black Adam” is likely to plateau with a global box office total of less than $400 million, a concerning prospect as theater owners typically retain around half of these sales. As a result, the movie is now projected to incur losses ranging from $50 million to $100 million during its theatrical run, according to estimates from insiders and rival executives well-versed in similar productions. Warner Bros. sources challenge these figures, asserting that the film will break even at $400 million. Originally, when the film was greenlit, the break-even point was believed to be $450 million, but this estimate has adjusted given the dynamics of the evolving home entertainment landscape. Notably, “Black Adam” has outperformed initial projections in this realm. The studio contends that ancillary revenue streams have become more lucrative, especially with shorter theatrical windows in the pandemic era. With films transitioning to home entertainment platforms in 33 days instead of the traditional 75, the costs associated with reviving marketing campaigns for a digital launch have decreased. According to sources at Warner Bros., these ancillary revenues position the film to achieve profitability.
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Nevertheless, “Black Adam” falls short of the financial success DC envisioned when the project was given the green light in 2019. While theatrical revenue is just one facet of profitability, considerations also extend to TV and Pay 1 agreements, with box office performance influencing the terms of these downstream deals. Even factoring in potential premium video-on-demand sales, estimated to contribute an extra $25 million to $35 million, the movie appears unlikely to emerge from financial setbacks by the time it debuts on HBO Max.
In all fairness, the majority of films face financial challenges during their theatrical run, relying on subsequent revenue streams like rentals, sales, and consumer product sales to achieve profitability. There’s also inherent value in establishing a piece of intellectual property cinematically, a factor not always accurately reflected on a balance sheet.
The struggles faced by “Black Adam” in recouping its budget during the pandemic are not unique. Other notable big-budget productions, such as Disney’s “Strange World” and Pixar’s “Lightyear,” director David O. Russell’s star-studded period piece “Amsterdam,” and Lionsgate’s disaster thriller “Moonfall,” have similarly failed to turn a profit in theaters. Even with declining COVID cases and a return to normalcy, the movie theater business continues to grapple with challenges in regaining its pre-pandemic stability. This poses a significant hurdle for mega-budgeted films that heavily rely on robust attendance for financial success.
“Black Adam” made its theatrical debut in late October, garnering $67 million—a respectable but unremarkable start for a comic book blockbuster. Unlike other standalone films within the DC Universe, such as 2018’s “Aquaman” (which opened to $67.8 million) and 2019’s “Shazam!” (with a debut of $53.5 million), this superhero origin story lacked the sustained momentum necessary to justify its substantial budget. The film faced challenges with mixed reviews (holding a 43% score on Rotten Tomatoes) and a “B+” CinemaScore, which failed to significantly impact word-of-mouth promotion, thus struggling to broaden its appeal beyond dedicated comic book fans. Currently, it has generated $165 million in North America and $219 million internationally. Like many Hollywood productions, the film faced limitations in overseas box office earnings due to restrictions on playing in major markets like China and Russia.
In comparison, “Aquaman” achieved a robust $335 million in North America, and although “Shazam” concluded its theatrical run with $140 million domestically, its production cost was $100 million—half that of “Black Adam.” Other DC properties released during the pandemic include “Wonder Woman 1984,” earning $164 million while simultaneously debuting on HBO Max; “The Suicide Squad,” which generated $165 million with a simultaneous HBO Max release; and “The Batman,” grossing an impressive $770 million.
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (“Jungle Cruise”), “Black Adam” features Dwayne Johnson portraying an antihero released into modern times after nearly 5,000 years of imprisonment. His morally ambiguous character draws the attention of the Justice Society of America, represented by Hawkman (Aldis Hodge) and Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo), who attempt to guide him toward heroism.
Despite Dwayne Johnson expressing a keen desire for a “Black Adam” sequel, the ambiguity arises when examining ticket sales, raising questions about whether audiences share his enthusiasm.
Source: https://dominioncinemas.net
Category: Movie News