‘The Flash’ Struggles to Recoup Production Costs at Global Box Office
Just as hope seemed lost for ‘The Flash,’ the DC superhero film has achieved a significant milestone at the worldwide box office. However, its journey to financial success remains uncertain due to its massive production budget and the substantial amount Warner Bros. invested in its promotion. After nearly two weeks in theaters, the movie has crossed the $200 million mark globally, as it endeavors to salvage what remains of its reputation.
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At this point, anyone following the film industry knows that ‘The Flash’ has been a major disappointment for Warner Bros., both commercially and critically. The studio must shoulder part of the blame for hyping it as the greatest superhero film since ‘The Dark Knight.’ However, audiences quickly realized that it fell short. With lukewarm reviews, the film debuted with underwhelming numbers domestically and worldwide earlier this month, and subsequently suffered one of the steepest second-weekend declines in superhero movie history.
Approaching its third week in theaters, ‘The Flash’ has yet to surpass the $100 million mark domestically, currently sitting at $91 million. Internationally, the movie has grossed $123 million, bringing its global earnings to just under $215 million. Audiences largely rejected the film last weekend, causing it to slide to the third position in the domestic box office, narrowly outperforming the raunchy comedy ‘No Hard Feelings.’ Instead, viewers flocked to ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,’ which regained the top spot, while family audiences turned to Pixar’s ‘Elemental,’ which experienced a minor resurgence after a disappointing debut.
Image via Warner Bros.
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Breaking Down the Budget of ‘The Flash’: How Much Money Will Warner Bros. Discovery Lose?
Reportedly produced with a budget of $200 million (excluding the alleged $150 million spent on marketing), ‘The Flash’ needs to double its budget to break even. Unfortunately, achieving this goal seems unlikely at this stage. It also appears improbable for the film to match the underwhelming global earnings of last year’s ‘Black Adam’ ($393 million). However, it did manage to outperform the previous DC release, ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods,’ which reached $133 million earlier this year. Regarding the internal rankings of the DC Extended Universe, ‘The Flash’ surpassed the franchise’s two projects during the pandemic era—’The Suicide Squad’ and ‘Wonder Woman 1984’—as well as 2020’s ‘Birds of Prey.’ However, it still falls behind the first ‘Shazam!’ from 2019, which grossed $363 million worldwide.
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Directed by Andy Muschietti, the film faced numerous challenges during its notoriously difficult production, experiencing multiple delays and changes over the years. Directors came and went, the script underwent revisions, and star Ezra Miller’s personal issues attracted negative press. The overall waning interest in the DC Extended Universe also impacted its performance. Recent reports suggest that Warner Bros. could have avoided releasing the film altogether, similar to what happened with the Batgirl movie. However, fans seem eager to leave this chapter of the DCEU behind and look forward to director James Gunn’s ‘Superman: Legacy’ next year. But before that, they must decide whether they are interested in witnessing the final remnants of the previous era with ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.’ For more updates, you can watch our interview with Muschietti here and stay tuned to FilmSweep.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about box office performance
What is the box office performance of “The Flash”?
“The Flash” has struggled to recoup its production costs and has fallen short of expectations at the global box office.
How much did “The Flash” gross worldwide?
After being in theaters for just under two weeks, “The Flash” has crossed the $200 million mark globally.
What is the production budget of “The Flash”?
“The Flash” was produced with a reported budget of $200 million, not including the $150 million spent on marketing.
Will “The Flash” be able to break even?
“The Flash” will need to gross twice its budget to break even, which seems unlikely at this point.
How does “The Flash” compare to other DC Extended Universe films?
“The Flash” has outperformed the recent DC releases such as “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” and pandemic-era projects like “The Suicide Squad” and “Wonder Woman 1984.” However, it still trails behind the global earnings of the first “Shazam!” film.
What challenges did “The Flash” face during production?
“The Flash” faced a difficult production, with multiple starts and stops over the years, changes in directors, script rewrites, and negative press surrounding star Ezra Miller’s personal troubles.
What are the future plans for the DC Extended Universe?
Fans are eagerly anticipating director James Gunn’s “Superman: Legacy” next year as they look forward to a fresh start for the DC Extended Universe.
Is there a chance “The Flash” could have been not released at all?
Reports suggest that Warner Bros. could have avoided releasing “The Flash” altogether, similar to what happened with the Batgirl movie.
How has the overall reception of “The Flash” been?
“The Flash” has been a major disappointment for Warner Bros. both commercially and critically, with middling reviews and underwhelming box office numbers.
More about box office performance
- Collider article: ‘The Flash’ Limps Past Its Production Budget at The Global Box Office
- Warner Bros. Discovery: ‘The Flash’ Budget Breakdown: How Much Money Will Warner Bros. Discovery Lose?
- FilmSweep: Interview with Andy Muschietti, Director of ‘The Flash’
- DC Extended Universe (DCEU) official website: https://www.dccomics.com/movies