The Flash Is The Biggest Flop In Superhero And Warner Bros. History
As it enters its fifth weekend, The Flash is on track to be the biggest flop not just among superhero movies, but in Warner Bros.’ century-long history, according to Dexerto. The movie, which premiered on June 16, had a disappointing opening, grossing only $55 million. Although this might be an impressive figure for many films, it falls short for a movie with a production cost of $200 million and an additional $65 million spent on marketing.
To break even, the Andy Muschietti-directed superhero film requires around $550 million in earnings, a goal that’s now clearly unattainable.
Superhero movies, with their colossal budgets and high expectations, operate in a realm where a gross of hundreds of millions can still be considered a failure. While films like Batman v. Superman and Suicide Squad had disappointing box office performances, they still managed to cover their production and marketing costs. The Flash, however, can’t even claim that as it’s a certified flop.
To break even, the Andy Muschietti-directed superhero film requires around $550 million in earnings, a goal that’s now clearly unattainable. The Flash was pretty much guaranteed to be a flop after experiencing a sharp decline of over 70 percent in its second weekend, grossing only about $15 million.
This dramatic plunge is the most severe second-weekend fall for a film debuting at number one since Halloween Ends from Universal/Blumhouse, which saw an 80 percent drop after a $40 million opening last October.
The Flash, like many other movies deemed a flop, is rapidly disappearing from theaters. After five weeks of underwhelming performance, it’s slated to be pulled from almost 1,000 domestic theaters this weekend. This reduction will leave the film screening at a mere 778 locations.
What precisely led to The Flash becoming a colossal box office flop? The most notable factor is undoubtedly the controversy involving the film’s lead actor, Ezra Miller. A series of unfortunate incidents, including a viral video of Miller choking a woman and subsequent allegations of harassment and assault, cast a pall over the actor’s reputation, negatively impacting the film in the process.
This dramatic plunge is the most severe second-weekend fall for a film debuting at number one since Halloween Ends from Universal/Blumhouse.
The Flash heading toward a significant flop can also be attributed to the restructuring of the DC Universe (formerly the DCEU). The recent appointments of James Gunn and Peter Safran as co-heads of DC Studios signaled major changes, as they did not hide their intentions of shaking things up.
Given that characters like The Flash, Shazam, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman, originally brought to life under Zack Snyder, are relics of a largely discarded era of DC’s cinematic universe, many viewers are reluctant to keep investing in these characters.
When Does The Flash Hit Streaming?
Regardless of the underlying reasons, The Flash seems destined for monumental flop status, leaving Warner Bros. with little option but to bear the brunt. The studio might manage to recover some of the film’s cost through Max subscribers when the movie inevitably premieres on their streaming platform. At the moment, the film is projected to debut on the service sometime next month.
The Flash is now playing in less than 800 theaters around the country. Directed by Andy Muschietti, the film stars Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Ben Affleck, Michael Shannon, Sasha Calle, and Kiersey Clemons.
The narrative centers on Barry Allen, who leverages his super speed to rewrite the past in a bid to save his family, only to inadvertently birth a superhero-less world, thus compelling him to embark on a life-or-death race to secure the future.
