Suicide Squad survives and sets record
The supervillain romp Suicide Squad shrugged off scathing reviews to open with an estimated $135.1 million (U.S.) in North American ticket sales, scoring one of the year’s biggest box-office debuts.
Pressure had risen on the performance of the Warner Bros. film, directed by David Ayer, following the studio’s previous poorly received DC Comics film, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. But Suicide Squad proved a massive draw despite its much-derided lead-in. It set a record for an August opening, easily besting Marvel’s 2014 hit Guardians of the Galaxy.
Not everything was roses for Suicide Squad, though, despite dominating the weekend. After fans flocked to theatres on Thursday night and Friday, audiences dropped steeply on Saturday.
That could forecast further sharp declines in coming weeks for the $175-million film, which also came with a massive marketing budget.
Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to comScore. 1. Suicide Squad, $135.1 million. 2. Jason Bourne, $22.7 million. 3. Bad Moms, $14.2 million. 4. The Secret Life of Pets, $11.6 million. 5. Star Trek Beyond, $10.2 million. 6. Nine Lives, $6.5 million. 7. Lights Out, $6 million. 8. Nerve, $4.9 million. 9. Ghostbusters, $4.8 million. 10. Ice Age: Collision Course, $4.3 million.