.jpeg)
The Warner Bros. superhero adaptation "The Flash"
made a swift entrance into 78 international markets this weekend, generating
$75 million in box office revenue.
While this falls short of the projected $85 million to $95
million, the film's global opening amounted to $139 million when including
domestic earnings over the three-day period. However, the film did not attract
as many general audiences as expected, dampening its performance, as per
reports.
Ahead of the release, there were concerns about the impact
of tabloid headlines involving star Ezra Miller on international viewership.
Ultimately, the initial audience consisted mostly of fanboys
and skewed towards male viewers. While the film contained an emotional
storyline connected to The Flash/Barry Allen's mother, it failed to draw female
audiences. Reaction to the film was mixed, with China's Maoyan giving it a
favorable 9.3 score, but France's AlloCiné rating it a mediocre 3 out of 5
stars, and critics offering a low 2.5 score.
Some UK reviews also leaned towards the negative side.
Although the film was well-received at its premiere during CinemaCon and holds
an 85% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, the inability to promote the movie
through star appearances, which is crucial for generating buzz, particularly in
international markets, posed a challenge.
"The Flash" secured the top spot in 54 markets
this weekend and is tracking similarly to "Black Adam" in comparable
overseas territories and current exchange rates. However, "Black
Adam" grossed $225 million internationally, which fell short of
expectations and was not considered a success, making it an unfavorable
comparison.
Regionally, the Middle East contributed $3.7 million in
revenue, benefiting from the upcoming Eid holiday. In Western Europe, inclement
weather played a role in the film's performance.
"The Flash" is tracking comparably to origin
stories like "Ant-Man" and "Shazam!" in that region. Latin
America, known for its enthusiastic reception of DC movies, accounted for 50%
of the top five films and performed on par with the opening weekend of
"Wonder Woman."
Notably, IMAX screenings contributed $15.6 million globally,
with $7.4 million coming from international markets. The film performed
strongly in markets such as China, the UK, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Korea,
demonstrating high interest among audiences.
“Elemental” faces an even bleaker road ahead. The
family-friendly film opened to $15 million from just 17 international markets,
bringing its global tally to a disastrous $44.5 million. In a note to press,
Disney mentioned that “Elemental” launched in far fewer markets and that only
three of the countries it has launched in — China ($5.2 million), Korea ($3.2
million) and Australia ($1.1 million) — are significant in terms of box office
contributions. Elsewhere, the movie is rolling out on a staggered basis to
“take advantage of local holidays.”
At the domestic box office, “Elemental” flopped with $25.9
million, landing by far the worst start in Pixar’s history. Like “The Flash,”
“Elemental” also cost $200 million to produce and roughly $100 million to
promote. Audiences (at least, those who showed up on opening weekend) were
receptive to the film, but Disney needs “Elemental” to defy the odds — and then
some — to justify those price tags.
Elsewhere, Sony’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”
remained strong as worldwide ticket sales near the $500 million mark. The
animated sequel added $27.6 million from 60 overseas markets over the weekend,
bringing its international tally to $209 million and its global total to $489.3
million.