Box office projection for the upcoming Blue Beetle movie is here, and it looks utterly disastrous. The Xolo Maridueña-starring film seems to bring another nightmare for Warner Bros Discovery and the newly revamped DC Universe.
The previous DCEU films Black Adam, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and The Flash all gave underwhelming performances, and it is most likely that the penultimate DCEU project will follow the catastrophic fate of its predecessors.
Blue Beetle Is Expected To Join DC’s Roster Of Flop Movies
According to Box Office Pro’s tracking, Blue Beetle will most likely earn between $12 million and $17 million on its opening weekend. By the end of its theatrical run, the film will only garner between $27 million and $55 million, a depressing figure to add to DC’s roster of failed projects.
With that shocking prediction, Black Adam seemingly moves to a better spot despite its box office crisis. The Dwayne Johnson-led film opened with $67 million on its first weekend and finished with $168 million in the US and Canada. On Friday night alone, it earned $26 million – more than twice the predicted amount for Blue Beetle.
If Blue Beetle follows the fate of the last three DCEU movies, it would also cost a significant loss for Warner Bros. With an estimated budget of $120 million, it needs to cross at least $300 million worldwide to break even or justify the expenses.
Blue Beetle is reportedly the first character to join the new DC Universe under James Gunn and Peter Safran’s legacy. The DC executive revealed on Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum:
“The first DCU character for sure is Blue Beetle, and the first full DCU movie is Superman.”
Director Angel Manuel Soto also reiterated to Total Film that the character is part of the same universe that Gunn and Safran will introduce (via GamesRadar):
“We are part of the universe, we are part of the world, we are part of the plans that they have been creating for the future instalments of the DCU, but we are not tied to all the films from the past. Yes, our movie lives in the world where superheroes exist. But that doesn’t mean that a certain event, or certain alliance, or certain things from the past dictate where our film is going.”
Soto revealed that he plans to make a trilogy for Blue Beetle and hopes that the performance of the first act in the saga will allow them to explore more of its story. Box Office Pro points out that the probable reason for the movie’s low projection is that viewers have become selective of what they watch in theaters. Additionally, Blue Beetle is not a character that everyone is familiar with.
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DC’s Seeming Downfall Outrages Fans, Demands To Bring Back Zack Snyder
Fans are also not taking this lightly. The several unexpected changes that occurred during the transition stage of the DC Universe, including the cancellation of highly anticipated projects, are fueling fans’ rage over Gunn and Safran’s way of management. Check out what people have to say:
Many believe that Blue Beetle looks like a rip-off of Iron Man and a very generic superhero film. Others are also pleading to bring back Zack Snyder, or the entire DC world will fall apart. Only time will tell if DC’s first Latino superhero will soar high at the box office or get squashed just like its predecessors.
Blue Beetle lands in theaters on August 18, 2023.
Sources: Box Office Pro, YouTube, Total Film via GamesRadar, Twitter
