The sequel’s debut would rank among the worst for a DCCU title, including those that were published during the epidemic.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods by DC and New Line Pictures is angry at being mocked.
The film’s Friday premiere brought in $11.7 million, including $3.4 million from previews, with an expected weekend opening of roughly $30 million.
That would be among the worst starts for a big-budget Hollywood superhero movie as well as for a picture from the DC Extended Universe, including ones that were released during the pandemic. Not accounting for inflation, it is far behind the $53.5 million domestic debut of the first Shazam! in 2019.
On its second weekend, Scream VI is still a strong contender and might bring in $18 million. The potential box office take for Creed III is close to $16 million.
Shazam!’s pre-release tracking had suggested the opening weekend would bring in at least $35 million. Some think it has a chance of reaching $40 million.
Shazam 2‘s Rotten Tomatoes reviewer’s score is a ho-hum 54 percent. Compared to the 2019 film, that percentage is 90%. A B+ CinemaScore was given to the follow-up as opposed to an A for the original.
Family, who were crucial to the first movie’s unexpected success, continue to be a difficult movie-going demographic in the epidemic period.
The 12th entry in the DC Extended Universe, Fury of the Gods, is the first to be published since Warner Bros. Discovery president David Zaslav hired Shazam! franchise producer Peter Safran and James Gunn to lead DC Studios and oversee a complete revamp.
David F. Sandberg directed Shazam! Fury of the Gods, was based on a script by Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan.
