The film’s domestic debut brought in a pitiful $30.5 million from 4,071 cinemas, far less than the $53.5 million domestic debut of the first Shazam! in 2019, unadjusted for inflation.
That is one of the worst openings for a major Hollywood superhero movie, as well as for a DC Cinematic Universe film, including ones that were released during the pandemic. Wrath of the Gods had a minimum production cost of $110 million before marketing.
Fury of the Gods debuted to barely $35 million from 78 markets, including China, where it bombed with $4.4 million, for a global start of $65.5 million. The news was equally bleak abroad.
Prerelease tracking had predicted Shazam! in North America. The opening weekend for Wrath of the Gods would bring in at least $35 million. Some thought it had a chance of reaching $40 million.
The Rotten Tomatoes critics score for Shazam 2 is a mediocre 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. Parents and children attended the follow-up as well.
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 comprehensive revamp.
Fury of the Gods debuts at a time when the fate of the DC actors and characters who were presented before to Gunn and Safran’s takeover is uncertain. Henry Cavill, who plays Superman, for example, won’t be appearing again. At the movie’s Tuesday night premiere in Hollywood, Levi spoke about his future, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “I’m extremely satisfied with this movie. I’m hoping it won’t be my last.
Shazam! Wrath of the Gods was directed by David F. Sandberg from a screenplay by Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan. Billy Bastson, aka Shazam, is played once more by Asher Angel and Zachary Levi. In her first movie since starring in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, Rachel Zegler is joined on the cast by Djimon Hounson, Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, and Helen Mirren.
Moving On, starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, was the other new wide release of the weekend and opened to $798,000 million from 791 screens. The humor relied on elderly folks, a demographically difficult group similar to families. Going On placed 12th.
Scream VI, which was once again in the top 10, brought in $17.5 million from 3,675 theaters for a domestic haul of $76 million. The slasher movie had a 61% decline. It made an additional $11.3 million overseas from 53 markets for a total of $40 million abroad, which is impressive for a horror film, and $116 million worldwide against a $33 million budget.
With $15.3 million from 3,477 sites in its third excursion and a domestic total of $127.6 million, Creed III continued to be a strong contender. The Michael B. Jordan movie increased its global total to $224.3 million and earned $12 million from 75 overseas markets.
The Willem Defoe heist-thriller Inside from Focus Pictures came in at No. 14 at the specialty box office with $470,000 from 375 venues.
