Opinions are varying wildly among analysts, fans and critics over whether Batman v Superman's box office performance thus far, along with its projected final earnings when it leaves theaters in the coming weeks, should be considered a success or a failure. To a good extent, those assessments are falling along the "party lines" of those who enjoy and defend the movie, and those who were profoundly disappointed in it. If you've read my earlier posts, you know my opinion, but I'm going to attempt an objective analysis here.
As of this Monday morning, BvS' worldwide gross stands at $783 million, with $296 million of that coming from the United States. It's mind-boggling to think that the success of a movie that has earned three quarters of a billion dollars in three weeks could even be up for debate, but consider the following: BvS' box office fell off 69% in its second weekend, and another 54% this weekend. Those are huge drops, even for a front-loaded tentpole movie, and they all but cancel out the promising $166 million that BvS earned on its opening weekend.
As it stands, BvS will struggle to earn $350 million in North America. Now, consider that Marvel's Guardians of Galaxy, a movie featuring heroes no one in the mainstream public had ever heard of (including a talking raccoon and tree), earned $333 million domestically. When you consider that a movie starring the two most iconic superheroes of all time will make roughly the same, it gives you a fair idea of what should have been versus what will ultimately come to pass. I think it's fair to say that the movie will not live up to the hopes Warner Bros. had for it, just as it has failed to pass muster with a majority of fans and critics.
But does that mean it was an outright failure? Not necessarily. Though it will not join the billion-dollar club, as it could have easily done if it were a better product, the movie will still break even when box office, home video, and merchandise sales are tallied, and probably make a small profit for WB. Supporters are also quick to point out that its final box office take will likely eclipse all but three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies-- Avengers, Age of Ultron and Iron Man 3. It has also outgrossed its prequel, Man of Steel, which is laudable for any franchise film.
To me, the question of BvS' success or failure comes down to two factors: expectation vs. reality, and the intangible outcome rather than the financial. I've already said that the movie will not meet WB's financial expectations, but obviously, more was at stake with this movie. BvS was intended to launch an entire DC Comics cinematic universe, a chain of blockbuster films to rival the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years to come. There's every reason to believe that anticipation for those upcoming movies will be affected not only by how well they were teased in BvS, but also by what people thought of this inaugural outing.
(As a side note, I continue to find it amusing and somewhat disingenuous that we have all collectively consented to refer to BvS as the foundation of the DCCU. In fact, that's the role WB was hoping Man of Steel would fill. When that movie also underperformed and also met with mixed reviews, they changed their plans to shoehorn Batman into the films earlier than was intended. It smacks a little of revisionist history to act like we haven't see all of this unfold before, and to pretend that WB isn't just preparing to kick the can down the street again.)
The unavoidable fact that WB has to confront, regardless of box office intake, is that BvS has weakened the DC cinematic brand. The movie has its supporters, and that has to be respected, but the majority of moviegoers have had reactions ranging from ambivalence to outrage. By contrast, for its opening act, Marvel took a B-list comic hero and built an action-packed, funny, endearing, and insanely popular franchise around him. The following films featuring Hulk, Thor and Captain America boosted enthusiasm for the slow build to the ultimate crossover, The Avengers.
Instead of riding the roller coaster of all that goodwill, the DCCU now has BvS to thank for starting things off on a deficit. The best thing that Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman and the other upcoming films have in their favor is that they are NOT directed by Zack Snyder. Even so, and even if they are excellent movies with great reviews, they will still be in a position of having to earn back viewers' trust. THAT is the biggest failure of Batman v Superman. And it's not an insignificant one.
As of this Monday morning, BvS' worldwide gross stands at $783 million, with $296 million of that coming from the United States. It's mind-boggling to think that the success of a movie that has earned three quarters of a billion dollars in three weeks could even be up for debate, but consider the following: BvS' box office fell off 69% in its second weekend, and another 54% this weekend. Those are huge drops, even for a front-loaded tentpole movie, and they all but cancel out the promising $166 million that BvS earned on its opening weekend.
As it stands, BvS will struggle to earn $350 million in North America. Now, consider that Marvel's Guardians of Galaxy, a movie featuring heroes no one in the mainstream public had ever heard of (including a talking raccoon and tree), earned $333 million domestically. When you consider that a movie starring the two most iconic superheroes of all time will make roughly the same, it gives you a fair idea of what should have been versus what will ultimately come to pass. I think it's fair to say that the movie will not live up to the hopes Warner Bros. had for it, just as it has failed to pass muster with a majority of fans and critics.
But does that mean it was an outright failure? Not necessarily. Though it will not join the billion-dollar club, as it could have easily done if it were a better product, the movie will still break even when box office, home video, and merchandise sales are tallied, and probably make a small profit for WB. Supporters are also quick to point out that its final box office take will likely eclipse all but three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies-- Avengers, Age of Ultron and Iron Man 3. It has also outgrossed its prequel, Man of Steel, which is laudable for any franchise film.
To me, the question of BvS' success or failure comes down to two factors: expectation vs. reality, and the intangible outcome rather than the financial. I've already said that the movie will not meet WB's financial expectations, but obviously, more was at stake with this movie. BvS was intended to launch an entire DC Comics cinematic universe, a chain of blockbuster films to rival the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years to come. There's every reason to believe that anticipation for those upcoming movies will be affected not only by how well they were teased in BvS, but also by what people thought of this inaugural outing.
(As a side note, I continue to find it amusing and somewhat disingenuous that we have all collectively consented to refer to BvS as the foundation of the DCCU. In fact, that's the role WB was hoping Man of Steel would fill. When that movie also underperformed and also met with mixed reviews, they changed their plans to shoehorn Batman into the films earlier than was intended. It smacks a little of revisionist history to act like we haven't see all of this unfold before, and to pretend that WB isn't just preparing to kick the can down the street again.)
The unavoidable fact that WB has to confront, regardless of box office intake, is that BvS has weakened the DC cinematic brand. The movie has its supporters, and that has to be respected, but the majority of moviegoers have had reactions ranging from ambivalence to outrage. By contrast, for its opening act, Marvel took a B-list comic hero and built an action-packed, funny, endearing, and insanely popular franchise around him. The following films featuring Hulk, Thor and Captain America boosted enthusiasm for the slow build to the ultimate crossover, The Avengers.
Instead of riding the roller coaster of all that goodwill, the DCCU now has BvS to thank for starting things off on a deficit. The best thing that Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman and the other upcoming films have in their favor is that they are NOT directed by Zack Snyder. Even so, and even if they are excellent movies with great reviews, they will still be in a position of having to earn back viewers' trust. THAT is the biggest failure of Batman v Superman. And it's not an insignificant one.
