After weeks of being in theaters, “Black Adam” did not performed well at the box office, earning only $387 million globally. Although this amount may appear huge given the current pandemic situation where movies are struggling to reach pre-pandemic levels at the box office, the movie was produced at a high cost of $195 million.
Additionally, Dwayne Johnson, who played the lead role as a villain in the film, is a well-known movie star, and promoting a movie with him as the lead typically requires a marketing budget of $100 million, as per knowledgeable sources. But , insiders from Warner Bros. suggest that due to the pandemic-related limitations on the box office, the studio reduced the global advertising campaign to $80 million.
Watch Trailer Here: Black Adam
“Black Adam” made its debut in late October 2022 with $67 million at the box office, which was a respectable start for a comic book tentpole. But, unlike other DC Universe standalone movies, such as “Aquaman” and “Shazam!”, which opened to $67.8 million and $53.5 million, respectively, “Black Adam” didn’t have the staying power it needed to justify its large budget.
Mixed reviews (it has a 43% rating on Rotten Tomatoes) and a “B+” CinemaScore didn’t generate strong word-of-mouth, made it difficult for the film to attract a wider audience beyond comic book fans. So far, Black Adam has earned $165 million in North America and $219 million internationally. However, like most Hollywood films, the overseas box office has been limited due to the inability to screen the film in China or Russia, two significant markets.
Black Adam box office Collections:
The box office performance of “Black Adam” has been disappointing, as it has only earned $387 million globally in seven weeks since its release. Although this amount may seem significant, given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the film industry, the movie’s production budget was $195 million. Also, as Dwayne Johnson is a major movie star, a big-budget film featuring him in a lead role requires a marketing budget of $100 million, as per knowledgeable sources.
But , insiders from Warner Bros. have argued that due to the limitations imposed by the pandemic, the studio had to reduce the global advertising campaign to $80 million. In “Black Adam,” Johnson plays a villain who once promised to change the “hierarchy of power” in the Warner Bros. DC universe, portraying a murderous anti-hero that goes against his typical roles.
Despite hopes that “Black Adam” would be a financial success for DC after its greenlight in 2019, the movie has not lived up to expectations in the box office, indicating that it may not be profitable. While TV and Pay 1 deals are additional components of profitability, box office returns still have a huge impact on downstream terms. Even if premium video-on-demand sales generate an additional $25 million to $35 million, it seems that “Black Adam” will not make enough money to recover its costs by the time it is released on HBO Max.
But , it is worth noting that most movies do not make a profit during their theatrical release and rely on rentals, sales, and consumer product sales to turn a profit. Moreover, there is value in establishing a piece of intellectual property cinematically that may not be reflected on a balance sheet.
“Black Adam” is not the only big-budget movie that struggled to earn back its budget during the pandemic. Other movies, such as Disney’s “Strange World” and Pixar’s “Lightyear,” David O. Russell’s star-studded period piece “Amsterdam,” and Lionsgate’s disaster thriller “Moonfall,” have also failed to turn a profit in theaters. Even as COVID-19 cases decline and normal life resumes, the movie theater industry has yet to fully recover, creating a significant challenge for high-budget films that rely on strong attendance.
Black Adam OTT Release Date:
The upcoming superhero movie “Black Adam,” featuring Dwayne Johnson in the lead role, will be released on the streaming platform Amazon Prime Video on March 15, 2023.
Black Adam Plot:
Teth Adam, an ancient Kahndaqian, was granted immense divine powers which he used to seek revenge. However, he was eventually imprisoned and transformed into the villainous Black Adam. Over the course of 5,000 years, Black Adam has become a legendary figure. Now free, his violent sense of justice is met with opposition from a team of contemporary heroes known as the Justice Society, comprised of Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Atom Smasher, and Cyclone.