Superheroes’ box office falls from the sky
Word-of-mouth might be kryptonite for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which fell a steep 68 per cent in its second weekend in theatres according to comScore estimates Sunday.
The superhero pic earned an estimated $52.4 million over the weekend, easily besting the modest new openers such as God’s Not Dead 2and Meet the Blacks. The Zack Snyder movie cost a reported $250 million to produce and around $150 million to market, and has earned an estimated $261.5 million to date.
It’s a critical launching point for a series of interconnected movies in the DC Comics Universe from Warner Bros. that will include this year’s Suicide Squad and next year’s Wonder Woman, which is why its early performance — and hold — are being so intensely scrutinized.
Superhero movies tend to be frontloaded with fans, and a near 60-percent fall is not uncommon for major blockbusters in weekend two.
But the near future still looks promising for Batman v Superman, which has the skies to itself for the next week until Disney’s The Jungle Book opens on April 15.
Disney’s Zootopia held onto second place with a robust $20 million, bringing its domestic total to $275.9 million. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 took third with $11.1 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to comScore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday. 1. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, $52.4 million. 2. Zootopia, $20 million. 3. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, $11.1 million. 4. God’s Not Dead 2, $8.1 million. 5. Miracles From Heaven, $7.6 million. 6. The Divergent Series: Allegiant, $5.7 million. 7. 10 Cloverfield Lane, $4.8 million. 8. Meet the Blacks, $4.1 million. 9. Eye in the Sky, $4.1 million. 10. Deadpool, $3.5 million