Despite opening with rave reviews, James Gunn and Warner Bros.’ The Suicide Squad debuted with only $26.5 million USD in the box office from a total of 4,002 North American theaters.
Although it topped the domestic box office, reports state that the underwhelming number could be due to a mix of the public’s growing concern over the Delta COVID-19 variant, the film’s premiere on HBO Max at no additional cost to the subscribers and its R rating. Analysts initially expected The Suicide Squad to do better due to its stellar reviews and target audience of younger men, who “have been among the most loyal moviegoers during the pandemic.” Variety adds that the lack of big names in the cast (with Margot Robbie and Viola Davis named as the only A-listers) could also be a determining factor.
“Currently, this is an unforgiving market,” David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research said. “Under normal conditions, a strong marketing campaign can overcome a few drawbacks and generate a good weekend. Under current conditions, that isn’t happening.”
Meanwhile, David Ayer‘s Suicide Squad, which was met with poor reviews, opened with a whopping $133 million USD and finished with $746 million USD in global earnings. The director recently slammed the studio cut of his movie and praised Gunn’s newest effort.
Elsewhere in entertainment, Ryan Reynolds offered new updates for Deadpool 3.
