After disappointing reviews for its spring tentpole "Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice," Warner Bros. (Time Warner Inc TWX) hoped its second DC Comics-inspired offering "Suicide Squad" would fare better. Based on early feedback, it looked like that wouldn't be the case. But, now it doesn't look like that will impact box office earnings.
The ensemble film is projected to earn anywhere in the neighborhood of $125 million to $140 million this weekend. Regardless of where it falls in that range, it will set a new record for an August release. It will also give lead Will Smith his biggest opening ever, topping the $77 million he earned back in 2007 with "I Am Legend."
The question, though, is how the film will do post-opening weekend.
Reportedly the film's budget is north of $175 million, with some estimates going as high as $250 million (the price tag on the aforementioned "Dawn of Justice"). While "Justice" opened to $166 million, it quickly trailed off in the following weeks at a alarming rate, attributed to poor word of mouth.
Analysts will be watching closely to see if that will be the case here as well. DC and Warner Bros. have two more films on the roster next year and a full slate through 2020.
Do you have ideas for articles/interviews you'd like to see more of on Benzinga? Please email feedback@benzinga.com with your best article ideas. One person will be randomly selected to win a $20 Amazon gift card!
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Comments
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
