Regardless of what you think about the quality ofBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, theZack Snyderfilm that further established the over-arching DC cinematic universe has become the seventh highest-grossing comic book movie worldwide.
According to box office numbers following Sunday’s earnings, the film has grossed a global cumulative total of $862.9 million sans inflation, thoughTHRnotes the film could finish its theatrical run in the $875 million sector. With $325.1 million of that number coming from North American ticket sales, that places it just behindSam Raimi’sSpider-Man 3and quite a few million away from his firstSpider-Man.
Image via Warner Bros.[/caption]
Warner Bros. is openly optimistic about the film’s performance, but box office analystJeff Bocktold THR:
Still, outside ofChristopher Nolan’s twoDark Knightmovies, andTim Burton’sBatmanfilms when you adjust for inflation, this is the highest-grossing property in DC’s bullpen thus far. It topsMan of Steelby more than $200 million. So yes, BvS successfully relaunched DC’s cinematic universe, but they are nowhere near Disney/Marvel in terms of critical reception and box office prowess. One can only hope that bigger and better is still on the way.
“Bigger” will come next year with Snyder’sJustice League: Part One, which features Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg. Though, “better” is still a word some fans and critics are hesitant to toss around.Batman v Supermanwas critically dragged across gravel and, though the film had its defenders, the box office numbers showed a stark decrease in ticket sales in the weeks following its debut. In the U.S.,Batman v Supermanis the 11th highest-grossing comic book movie, currently behindGuardians of the Galaxy(though it could soon overtake this position) andSpider-Man 3.
Outside of the superhero sphere, family friendly fair, such as Disney’sZootopiaandThe Jungle Book, have thrived at the domestic box office. Ahead ofCaptain America: Civil War— which is alreadyraking in some major dollars and cents overseas— the latter achieved top marks in sales for yet another consecutive week, while word-of-mouth onZootopiasimilarly bolstered the title. With $932.5 global earnings to date,ZootopiasurpassedBatman v SupermanasThe Jungle Book(entering its third week in theaters) is already catching up with an international tally of $686.9 million.
If you look at the whole picture, it’s no wonder reports are suggesting behind-the-scenes worry from Warner Bros. on the DC offerings. It’s also difficult to ignore when someone likeSeth Grahame-Smithleaves his directing postonThe Flash.James Wanjust today came out toaddress rumors of his departureonAquamanafter additional reports claimed reshoots onSuicide Squadwere in set to address the tone, something directorDavid Ayerdebunked. The latter film is next on the docket followed byPatty Jenkins’Wonder Woman, so we’ll see if the DCEU is able to bounce back.
