Weekend Box Office: THE FLASH ($55.1M), ELEMENTAL ($29.5M), THE BLACKENING ($6.0M) All Open Below Lowest Projections

The Flash

Warner Bros.’ superhero crossover didn’t exactly speed off to the races, with a first place opening of $55.1M opening.

That falls short of even the lowest end of Boxoffice PRO’s pre-release projection range: $60M to $80M.

It also opens below some other DC Extended Universe titles with which it was expected to perform comparably, or even exceed:

• -41% below 2017’s Justice League, which also featured the Flash character ($93.8M)
• -18% below 2018’s Aquaman ($67.8M)
• -17% below 2022’s Black Adam ($67.0M)

At least it opened +2% above 2019’s Shazam! ($53.5M).

And that’s not even comparing it to several $100M+ openings from the mid-2010s DC Extended Universe titles, such as:

• -66% below 2016’s Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice ($166.0M)
• -58% below 2016’s Suicide Squad ($133.6M)
• -52% below 2013’s Man of Steel ($116.6M)
• -46% below 2017’s Wonder Woman ($103.2M)

Despite initial hopes upon its much-lauded first trailer that the film could achieve a “Marvel level” opening, it also opened far below the two 2023 Marvel Cinematic Universe releases so far:

• -48% below February’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania ($106.1M)
• -53% below May’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ($118.4M)

Audience demographics

Flash earned a “B” CinemaScore, which was below the “B+” for the two most recent DC Extended Universe films: Black Adam and March’s Shazam!: Fury of the Gods.

Premium formats comprised 40% of Flash’s opening, higher than for Fury of the Gods (36%) and Black Adam (33%).

The audience for Flash was 63% male, just slightly higher than for Rise of the Beasts last weekend (62%).

The audience was also 70% older than 25, considerably older than the 51% for Beasts. (No doubt helped by the returns of 1980s-era Batman: Michael Keaton.)

Overseas / global

Flash opened to $75.0M overseas and $139.0M globally.

That global opening is lower than:

• -2% below Black Adam ($142.9M)

• -38% below Quantumania ($225.3M)

• -51% below Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ($289.3M)

The fop five overseas market totals for Flash are:

1. China ($13.8M)
2. Mexico ($9.4M)
3. U.K. ($5.3M)
4. South Korea ($3.7M)
5. Brazil ($3.5M)

Read Boxoffice PRO’s interview with The Flash filmmaking siblings Andy (director) and Barbara (producer) Muschietti, here:

https://www.boxofficepro.com/run-dont-walk-the-flash-speeds-to-the-big-screen/ 

Elemental

The Disney/Pixar animated original wasn’t on fire, with a $29.5M debut in second place.

That fell short of even the lowest end of Boxoffice PRO’s pre-release weekend projection range: $31M to $41M.

It’s also the second-lowest Pixar wide opening of all time, ranking just barely ahead of 1995’s Toy Story, Pixar’s first feature before they’d established themselves as a famous brand.

Compared to the other lowest-opening Pixar films, Elemental started:

• +1% above 1995’s Toy Story, Pixar’s first feature ($29.1M)
• -11% below 1998’s A Bug’s Life ($33.2M)
• -24% below 2015’s The Good Dinosaur (also $39.1M)
• -24% behind early March 2020’s Onward ($39.1M)

Audience demographics

While the film opened low, is there a chance it could hold well in the weeks to come? After all, it earned an “A” CinemaScore, above the “A-” score for Pixar’s two most recent theatrical releases: Onward and Lightyear.

Elemental’s audience was 63% female, notably higher than for Onward (52%) and Lightyear (48%).

The audience was also 45% older than 25, slightly less than for Lightyear (46%) and less still than for Onward (51%).

Overseas / global

Elemental opened with $15.0M overseas and $44.5M globally.

That’s well below the global openings for Pixar’s two most recent theatrical releases:

• -34% below Onward ($68.0M)

• -48% below Lightyear ($85.6M)

Elemental’s top four overseas market totals are:

1. China ($5.2M)
2. South Korea ($3.2M)
3. Australia ($1.1M)
4. Argentina ($1.0M)

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Last weekend, Sony’s animated superhero sequel exceeded its 2018 predecessor’s final domestic total, after only two frames.

And in a rare occurrence, while it came in second place for the weekend, it held well enough last Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday that it came in first place for the week.

Now in its third weekend, it falls -50% to $27.8M and third place.

Among all films, it’s earned the:

• #52 opening ($120.6M)
• #53 second weekend ($55.5M)
• #79 third weekend ($27.8M)

Among animated films specifically, it’s earned the:

• #8 opening
• #11 second weekend
• #22 third weekend

With $225.5M total to date, it’s earned +18% more than the final $190.1M total of 2018’s predecessor Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and 2.1x as much through the same point in release.

However, the title is holding less than hoped-for compared to a few other key comparison films from recent years:

Film	Into opened	Into now	Trend
2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse	3.4x	2.1x	Down
2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home	-53%	-63%	Down
April’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie	-17%	-48%	Down
2018’s Incredibles 2	-33%	-48%	Down

Overseas / global

Across the Spider-Verse has earned $209.0M overseas and $479.2M globally.

It’s already +27% above its predecessor’s $375.4M final global total.

It’s also earned a majority 56% of its earnings domestically, unusual for such a blockbuster title. (Although that may change by the end of its theatrical run.)

The top five overseas market totals for Across are:

1. China ($41.3M)
2. U.K. ($25.3M)
3. Mexico ($23.7M)
4. Australia ($14.6M)
5. Brazil ($10.1M)

While Across has surpassed its predecessor globally, it looks unlikely to match Into’s $61.9M in China a few years ago.

Read Boxoffice PRO’s interview with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse co-director Kemp Powers here:

https://www.boxofficepro.com/spider-man-across-the-spider-verse-co-director-kemp-powers-on-miles-morales-inter-dimensional-journey/ 

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Last weekend, Paramount’s sci-fi action prequel “rose” to $61.0M in first place. That’s above even the highest end of Boxoffice PRO’s pre-release projection range: $46M to $56M.

However, in a rare occurrence, the film lost enough business on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday that – even though it finished #1 for the weekend – it only finished #2 for the week.

Now in its second weekend, it falls a steep -67% to $20.0M and fourth place.

That’s the steepest sophomore weekend drop of any Transformers film, including the spinoff. Listed here from mildest to steepest:

• 2018’s Bumblebee (-37%, after first falling only -3% on Christmas weekend)
• 2007’s Transformers (-47%)
• 2011’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon (-52%)
• 2009’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (-61%)
• 2017’s Transformers: The Last Knight (-62%)
• 2014’s Transformers: Age of Extinction (-63%)

With $100.6M domestically to date, Rise is holding worse than every other Transformers sequel installment through the same point in release.

For example, while it opened above 2017’s The Last Knight, it’s now running behind it through the same point in release:

Film	Rise opened	Rise now	Trend
2018’s Bumblebee	2.8x	+49%	Down
2017’s The Last Knight	+36%	-1%	Down
2014’s Age of Extinction	-38%	-42%	Down
2011’s Dark of the Moon	-37%	-61%	Down
2009’s Revenge of the Fallen	-43%	-65%	Down

Overseas / global

Rise has earned $174.3M overseas and $274.9M globally.

It’s looking almost certain not to reach the global totals of the prior two installments:

• 2018’s Bumblebee ($465.1M)
• 2017’s The Last Knight ($602.8M)

And it won’t even approach the two installments prior to that, 2011’s Dark of the Moon and 2014’s Age of Extinction, both of which each exceeded $1B globally.

Rise has also earned $60.6M in China. It might not even reach half of the China totals of:

• Bumblebee ($170.8M)
• Knight ($228.8M)

Overseas currently comprises 63% of Rise’s global total, notably lower than for Bumblebee (72%) or The Last Knight (78%).

The top five overseas market totals for Rise are:

1. China ($60.6M)
2. Mexico ($13.0M)
3. Indonesia ($8.2M)
4. Peru ($9.1M)
5. France ($6.1M)
6. U.K. (also $6.1M)

Read Boxoffice PRO’s interview with Transformers: Rise of the Beasts co-director Kemp Powers here:

https://www.boxofficepro.com/spider-man-across-the-spider-verse-co-director-kemp-powers-on-miles-morales-inter-dimensional-journey/ 

Read Boxoffice PRO’s “Boxoffice Rewind” feature on the financial history of the Transformers franchise, here:

https://www.boxofficepro.com/transformers-box-office-history/ 

The Little Mermaid

Now in its fourth frame, Disney’s live-action musical remake falls -49% to $11.6M and fifth place.

With $253.5M total to date, the film is holding better than some other comparable Disney films through the same point in release, and worse than others.

For example, while it opened above 2019’s Aladdin, it’s now running behind it through the same point in release:

Film	Mermaid opened	Mermaid now	Trend
2019’s Aladdin	+4%	-3%	Down
2016’s The Jungle Book	-7%	-11%	Down
2019’s The Lion King	-50%	-46%	Up
2010’s Alice in Wonderland	-17%	-13%	Up
2017’s Beauty and the Beast	-45%	-41%	Up

Overseas / global

Mermaid has earned $212.4M overseas and $466.0M globally.

It’s looking likely to only finish with around half, or less than half, the global earnings of:

• 2017’s Beauty and the Beast ($1.26B)
• 2019’s Aladdin ($1.05B)
• 2010’s Alice in Wonderland ($1.02B)
• 2016’s The Jungle Book ($967.7M)
• 2019’s The Lion King ($968.5M)

The top five overseas market totals for Mermaid are:

1. U.K. ($27.5M)
2. Mexico ($19.7M)
3. Brazil ($14.8M)
4. Italy ($12.3M)
5. Australia ($11.9M)

The Blackening

Lionsgate’s horror-comedy scared up a $6.0M debut in sixth place, on this Juneteenth weekend.

That fell short of even the lowest end of Boxoffice PRO’s pre-release projection range: $7M to $12M.

One factor that hurts: it’s playing in a moderate 1,775 theaters, less than half of the widest releases in the marketplace.

Compared to some other similar horror comedies of the past decade, Blackening opened:

• -32% below 2014’s A Haunted House 2 ($8.8M)
• -25% below April’s Renfield ($8.0M)
• +12% above 2016’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies ($5.3M)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

In its seventh frame, the Disney and Marvel Studios superhero sequel declines -31% to $5.0M and seventh place.

After its first four weekends fell below those of its predecessor 2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, its fifth and sixth frames have actually come in higher or about even:

1. -19% for its opening
2. -4% for its second frame
3. -6% for its third frame
4. -0.4% for its fourth frame
5. +8% for its fifth frame
6. +14% for its sixth frame
7. -1% for its seventh frame

The film is holding well compared to several other comparable Marvel Cinematic Universe titles.

For example, while it opened below 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder, it’s now running ahead of it through the same point in release:

Film	Vol. 3 opened	Vol. 3 now	Trend
2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2	-19%	-8%	Up
2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder	-17%	+3%	Up
2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever	-34%	-19%	Up
2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness	-36%	-15%	Up
February’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania	+11%	+62%	Up
2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy	+25%	+12%	Down

Overseas / global

Vol. 3 has earned $476.5M overseas and $820.9M globally.

Globally, Vol. 3 is already +6% above the original’s final total ($770.8M), though matching the sequel will prove less likely ($869.0M).

In China specifically, Vol. 3 has earned $86.6M. This weekend, it exceeds the China earnings of the first installment ($86.3M). However, it’s unlikely to match the sequel’s $99.3M.

The fop five overseas market totals are:

1. China ($86.6M)
2. U.K. ($45.1M)
3. Mexico ($36.1M)
4. South Korea ($33.4M)
5. France ($30.5M)

The Boogeyman

Now in its third frame, 20th Century Studios’ horror falls -46% to $3.8M and eighth place.

With $32.7M total, it’s holding well compared to some other Stephen King horror adaptations of the past decade, through the equivalent point in release.

For example, while it opened below both 2019’s Doctor Sleep and 2013’s Carrie, t’s now running ahead of both of them through the same point in release:

Film	Boogeyman opened	Boogeyman now	Trend
2019’s Doctor Sleep	-12%	+13%	Up
2019’s Pet Sematary	-49%	-33%	Up
2013’s Carrie	-23%	+2%	Up

Overseas / global

Boogeyman has earned $18.6M overseas and $51.4M globally.

The top five overseas market totals are:

1. France ($1.8M)
2. U.K. (also $1.8M)
3. Mexico ($1.7M)
4. Australia ($1.2M)
5. Germany (also $1.2M)

While it’s holding well domestically, it’s looking unlikely to match the global totals for other Stephen King adaptations of the past decade:

• 2019’s Pet Sematary ($111.8M)
• 2013’s Carrie ($82.4M)
• 2019’s Doctor Sleep ($71.7M)

Fast X

Now in its fifth frame, Universal’s action sequels falls a steep -61% to $2.0M and ninth place.

With $142.4M to date domestically, the film isn’t holding that well, compared to some prior installments through the equivalent point in release.

For example, while it opened above 2019’s Hobbs & Shaw, it’s now running behind it through the same point in release:

Film	Fast X opened	Fast X now	Trend
2019’s Hobbs & Shaw	+11%	-9%	Down
2021’s F9	-4%	-12%	Down
2017’s The Fate of the Furious	-32%	-33%	Down

Overseas / global

Fast X has earned $534.2M overseas and $676.6M globally.

It’s looking almost certain not to match the global totals of F9 ($726.2M) and Hobbs & Shaw ($760.7M).

Fast X has also earned $136.5M in China, making it certain to fall short of the Chinese grosses for F9 ($216.9M) and Hobbs & Shaw ($201.0M).

The top five overseas market totals for Fast X are:

1. China ($136.5M)
2. Mexico ($36.7M)
3. Brazil ($25.9M)
4. Japan ($24.4M)
5. France ($18.8M)

Read Boxoffice PRO’s “Boxoffice Rewind” feature on the financial history of the Fast and the Furious franchise, here:

https://www.boxofficepro.com/fast-furious-box-office-history/ 

Asteroid City

Focus Features’ Wes Anderson comedy opened in tenth place with $790K, in limited release from six theaters in New York City and Los Angeles.

The film’s $132,211 per-theater average ranks #15 of all time, the highest since La La Land in 2016 ($176,220, #10 all time).

However, it’s still not even the top Wes Anderson opening per-theater average, ranking a bit behind 2014’s The Grand Budapest Hotel ($202,791, #9 all time).

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

In its 11th frame, Universal’s animated video game adaptation drops a steep -74% to $590K, finally falling outside the weekend top 10.

With $572.1M to date domestically, Mario ranks as the #14 film and #2 animated film of all time, behind only 2018’s Incredibles 2 ($608.5M).

With $754.6M overseas and $1.32B globally, Mario ranks as the #18 film and #3 animated film of all time globally, behind only 2019’s The Lion King ($1.66B) and 2019’s Frozen II ($1.45B).

Weekend comparisons

Total box office this weekend came in around $163.1M, which is:

Weekend	Total	This weekend is:	Leader
Last weekend	$165.2M	-1%	Transformers: Rise of the Beasts ($61.0M)
Same weekend in 2022	$164.5M	-1%	Jurassic World: Dominion, second frame ($59.1M)
Same weekend in 2019	$135.9M	+20%	Men in Black: International ($30.0M)

YTD comparisons

Year-to-date box office stands around $4.07B, which is:

Year	YTD total	2023 YTD after last weekend:	2023 YTD now:	Trend
2022	$3.27B	+25.6%	+24.4%	Down
2019	$5.09B	-21.3%	-20.0%	Up

Top distributors

Disney regained the lead last weekend, from Universal. Universal and Disney are in first and second place, by more than double everyone else.

Grouped by parent company, the YTD leaders are:

1. Disney + 20th Century + Searchlight + Star: $1.19B
2. Universal + Focus Features: $1.10B
3. Sony Pictures + Sony Classics + Crunchyroll: $480.4M
4. Paramount: $361.1M
5. Lionsgate: $322.9M
6. MGM + United Artists + Amazon Studios: $233.1M
7. Warner Bros.: $219.3M

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Sunday’s Studio Weekend Estimates:

Title	Estimated weekend	% change	Locations	Location change	Average	Total	Weekend	Distributor
The Flash	$55,100,000		4,234		$13,014	$55,100,000	1	Warner Bros.
Elemental	$29,500,000		4,035		$7,311	$29,500,000	1	Disney
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse	$27,800,000	-50%	3,873	-459	$7,178	$280,383,000	3	Sony Pictures
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts	$20,000,000	-67%	3,680	2	$5,435	$100,622,000	2	Paramount
The Little Mermaid	$11,600,000	-50%	3,480	-840	$3,333	$253,559,129	4	Disney
The Blackening	$6,000,000		1,775		$3,380	$6,000,000	1	Lionsgate
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3	$5,000,000	-31%	2,260	-915	$2,212	$344,360,355	7	Disney
The Boogeyman	$3,800,000	-47%	2,140	-1,065	$1,776	$32,767,747	3	20th Century Studios [Disney]
Fast X	$1,620,000	-69%	1,550	-1,272	$1,045	$142,003,000	5	Universal
Asteroid City	$790,000		6		$131,667	$790,000	1	Focus Features [Universal]
Past Lives	$760,871	46%	85	59	$8,951	$1,901,742	3	A24
The Super Mario Bros. Movie	$590,000	-74%	896	-893	$658	$572,050,000	11	Universal
About My Father	$278,000	-67%	273	-687	$1,018	$11,504,509	4	Lionsgate
You Hurt My Feelings	$269,412	-41%	249	-178	$1,082	$4,351,159	4	A24
Book Club: The Next Chapter	$33,000	-73%	129	-79	$256	$17,519,000	6	Focus Features [Universal]
Squaring the Circle	$5,421	-42%	2	1	$2,711	$23,960	2	Utopia
Nefarious	$1,300	-92%	36		$36	$5,431,848	10	SDG