Warner Bros. Discovery’s Black Adam is doing roaring business at the box office. Despite mixed reviews, the movie, starring Dwayne Johnson, earned $26.8 million on the opening day, easily topping the domestic box office and represents the best opening day ever for a Dwayne Johnson star vehicle.
Among his previous big-deal theatricals, it’s behind Fast Five ($34 million on its way to an $86 million debut), Fast & Furious 6 ($38 million for a $117 million Fri-Mon debut), Furious 7 ($67 million/$147 million) and Fate of the Furious ($46 million/$99 million).
The film is expected to cross over 62 million dollars in its opening weekend, which would make it the first worldwide release to earn above $50 million since Thor: Love and Thunder finished at $144 million in July. Moviegoing has decreased in the summer season and there’s been much hope for theatres to attract far more footfall.
That’s arguably a bigger deal than how it compares to other DC/Marvel movies. Black Adam is the first DC/Marvel biggie where the lead actor is bigger than the marquee character since Nicolas Cage’s Ghost Rider in 2007 and before that, Wesley Snipes’ Blade in 1998. While we’re talking about a $195 million tentpole for a C-level superhero, for a film that might not get a pre-Covid sized boost in China, it’s still a very good opening by Johnson’s own standards.
Black Adam’s performance looks to be on the correct track when compared to past DC movie performances. Shazam made 53 million dollars in its first opening weekend, while Aquaman took in 67 millio. New characters were brought to life in these movies, and audiences around the world were treated to electrifying performances. 195 million dollars were spent on it, so it will be interesting to see how Black Adam’s future plays out.
It’s possible that the movie will keep raking in the cash and won’t encounter much opposition until Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opens on November 11. Even if it still pales in comparison to Marvel movies or the most recent Batman movie, the picture is progressing steadily.
