The DCEU, with its erratic record at the box office, returns this week with the release of Black Adam: a debut that gives average numbers, jumping with a possible ending at the low fork of the genre, and with the hope of the release date in China.
The so-called DCEU, the shared universe of DC and Warner around the superheroes of the publisher that saw the birth of Superman and Batman, has transited since its beginnings around 2013 (or earlier) between the erratic of its plans and successes very uneven at the box office. His biggest hit in North America, Wonder Woman (412.8 million) did not exceed the international box office of the insulted justice league (410 vs 428.9), and it is Aquaman the one that leads the world box office (1148.5 million). This is more than the movie dedicated to Superman, one to Batman v Superman, one to all superheroes and… The most amazing thing is that the original suicide squad (746.8) almost surpassed them all (except Aquaman, of couse). And this one is almost because it didn’t get a release in China.
Almost ten years after its first entry at the box office, numerous changes, the drama surrounding a The justice league and a pandemic that threw in much lower numbers than usual, the DCEU is back with a big premiere. Black Adamwith a large budget, it debuts with slightly shy figures: 142.9 million worldwide pending Japan and a possible release in China.
Of these 140 million, about 67 correspond to North America (USA + Canada), a somewhat poor debut for the genre (but optimal for the career of its protagonist: Dwayne Johnson). The distribution between Thursday night (which almost counts as a full day for a few years now), Friday, Saturday and Sunday, or between the three days if we add Thursday and Friday, gives a debut that is not very frontal. That is: the public has been divided between the three days (26.7, 23.7 and 16.6). This is usually positive in the long term as it indicates more curious people and fewer fans who come to the first passes. However a debut of 67 million, and a somewhat probable multiplier of x3, would leave a Black Adam an approximate end of 190 million. If we compare with the deliveries before the pandemic we have that it will only be able to exceed a Shazam! (140.4 million) already Birds of Prey (84.1 million).
At the international box office level, with a debut of 75.9 million, Black Adam pending Japan (December 2) and a release date in China. A debut that, like the domestic one, seems a little shy to us. Even with good numbers in Japan, and a premiere in China, Black Adam seems to be facing the hundred of 500 million as the optimal final. A figure that would distance it from all the installments of the DCEU except for those already mentioned Shazam! i Birds of Prey. Given its theoretical budget of around 200 million, its recovery is currently in doubt (it must be remembered that the cinemas remain around half). The DCEU, therefore, continues with its erratic, although the sea of curiosity, crosses in this box office.