DC’s highly anticipated film, Blue Beetle, hit theaters over the weekend, but unfortunately, it experienced one of the slowest starts in DC movie history at the box office. The movie managed to earn a mere $25.4 million in the US market and an additional $18 million from international markets, resulting in a total first-weekend collection of $43 million. This dismal performance places Blue Beetle among the worst starts ever for a DC film.
Blue Beetle was produced with a substantial budget of $100 million, and Warner Bros. spared no expense on marketing and promotion. Unfortunately, despite the significant investment, the movie is now facing an uphill battle to recoup its costs. Variety reported that the film will need to “defy the box office odds” in order to break even.
According to a memo issued by Warner Bros. management, the box office results of Blue Beetle in Southern California, where the film is “over-indexing,” may have been influenced by tropical storm Hilary. The adverse weather conditions could have impacted the number of moviegoers, potentially contributing to the lackluster performance in that particular region.
When comparing Blue Beetle to recent DC movies, it becomes clear just how significant its slow start truly is. Shazam: Fury of the Gods, released in March this year, earned $30.1 million during its opening weekend, while The Flash brought in an impressive $55 million for its US opening in June. Amongst all recent DC films, only Wonder Woman 1984, which debuted during the pandemic and was simultaneously released on HBO Max, had a lower box office start in the US than Blue Beetle, with just $16.7 million.
Despite its sluggish start, Blue Beetle managed to secure the top spot at the US box office over the weekend. This achievement is particularly notable as Barbie, another Warner Bros. production, had been dominating the box office since its debut on July 21. Barbie has already amassed an impressive $567 million worldwide and is expected to surpass The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($574 million) soon, becoming the highest-grossing film at the US box office this year.
The underwhelming performance of Blue Beetle at the box office highlights the challenges faced by DC films in recent times. While the reasons behind its slow start are multifaceted, including the impact of adverse weather and competition from other films, it remains to be seen whether the movie can make a comeback and reach a broader audience. With high production costs and the need to surpass its disappointing opening weekend, Blue Beetle is in a precarious position. Only time will tell if it can overcome these obstacles and leave a lasting impact on the DC cinematic universe.
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