Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Black Adam

  • Thursday Previews Box Office for ‘Black Adam’ Hint at a Disappointing Opening Weekend

    Thursday Previews Box Office for ‘Black Adam’ Hint at a Disappointing Opening Weekend

    Black Adam’s projected opening weekend domestic box office numbers continue along a disappointing downward trend. Dwayne Johnson’s anti-hero film, which has been in development for 15 years, was originally predicted to pull in $65M+ with some estimates as high as $75-80M. Now, after the numbers from the Thursday previews have arrived, it looks like it would take a pretty serious course correction to get to $60M.

    Gitesh Pandya of Box Office Guru shared the official box office take from Thursday’s showings which came in just under $8M.

    As Pandya points out, the Tom Hardy-led Venom films took in $10M and $11.6M, respectively, ahead of $80M and $90M opening weekends. DC’s last theatrical release, The Batman, opened to $134M when it opened in March of 2022.

    As of now, it looks like Black Adam’s box office has fallen victim to mixed reviews from the initial wave or critics who screened the film ahead of its wide release. Given Johnson’s star power and the less-than-secret return of Henry Cavill as Superman in a post-credit scene, it’s likely that DC Films was hoping the film would open between $80-100M. With Black Panther: Wakanda Forever set to follow Black Adam into theaters in just three weeks, it’s unlikely the latter will have legs making the first two weekends more significant than normal.

  • SPOILERS: Dwayne Johnson Discusses a Major DC Cameo in ‘Black Adam’

    SPOILERS: Dwayne Johnson Discusses a Major DC Cameo in ‘Black Adam’

    If you somehow haven’t heard just yet (that’d be pretty impressive because Dwayne Johnson’s been shouting it from the rooftops every chance he’s had), turn back now and give yourself a chance to be surprised.

    While post-credit scenes have come to be known as a Marvel Studios tradition, they certainly didn’t invent them and no matter what studio uses them, they often serve as less of a promise and more a tease of potential future ideas. To that end, Johnson and the leadership of Seven Bucks Productions have given DC fans an epic tease that, for the time being, comes without a promise as DC Films looks for new leadership. After years away from the role, Henry Cavill returns to the DC Universe as Superman in Black Adam.

    How The Rock Got His Supes Back

    While the future for Cavill’s Kal-El is just starting to unfold, his return has proven exciting for fans and Johnson took the time to explain how it came about while talking with ComicBook.com:

    Well, I’ve known Henry for a long time. We’re buddies. My longtime business partner, Dany Garcia, she has been a big advocate for Henry. She’s managed Henry’s career over the years. It came down to, dude, we love Superman. There is new leadership about to happen in Warner Brothers. Here’s an opportunity. On our end of Black Adam, we will do everything we can to pay homage and respect to the mythology of Black Adam and build him as being the most powerful and unstoppable force on this planet. And if we do our job right, at the end of the movie, then in comes not only the most powerful and unstoppable force in the entire universe in Superman, but also the one that the fans want.

    Dwayne Johnson

    Even in the world of superhero films, it turns out it’s who you know. Johnson continued to discuss Cavill’s return and the part that fans of the DC Universe had in making it happen.

    And that’s the difference. And that’s the new era I’m talking about. This new era in the DC universe is we listen, man. We listen to the fans. We may not be able to do every single thing that they want, but they’re going to know that they’re not ignored because they’ve been ignored for so long. But we’re going to listen to them, man.

    Dwayen Johnson

    Of course just having Johnson and the fans willing to make it happen would have meant nothing had Cavill not wanted to return as the Big Blue Boy Scout. Thankfully he did, because according to Johnson, there’s nobody better for the role.

    So in presenting that to Henry, he also… Man, when it comes to Superman, I don’t know if there’s any other person on the planet who loves and embodies the mythology, the ethos, and everything of Superman than Henry. And so I’m so happy that it all came together. I’m so happy the fans are losing their minds over it. And I’m so happy that there is a new shift in this DC universe. And Superman is back.

    Dwayne Johnson

    What’s Next for Superman and Black Adam

    The post-credit scene simply introduces the two characters to one another and while tensions seem high, there’s no battle of the titans. According to Black Adam producer Hiram Garcia, that’s all the production team ever hoped to accomplish, leaving plenty of room to develop “great stories” coming out of the meeting.

    What we really want to establish is that Superman exists in the same world as Black Adam. Both those guys exist in the same universe and that’s important for us. It’s in the universe where our JSA is and so forth, but we really wanted the world to know that these guys are going to cross paths. How we do it we’re still working on it, we don’t want to give that away, I will say that it’s much bigger than what people think. We want to do long-form storytelling, we’re not looking for a quick one-off or something like that. These guys exist in the same universe and there’s a lot of fun to be had when you have basically the two most powerful beings in the universe on opposite sides, but also have some very interesting similarities to them. For us there’s a lot of opportunities to tell some great stories around (that).

    Hiram Garcia

    As the film’s first weekend unfolds, it’ll be worth tracking how fans across the world respond to Cavill’s return. The actor has had a lengthy break from the role and recent rumors had him being courted by Marvel Studios for a major role in their DC Universe. However, now that he’s back, a Man of Steel sequel is in development and a Black Adam sequel isn’t too far off, there might be plenty of chances to see Superman and Teth-Adam duke it out in the near future.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • Turnaround to the ‘Black Adam’ Sequel “Will Be Fast”

    Turnaround to the ‘Black Adam’ Sequel “Will Be Fast”

    Black Adam hasn’t even fully opened in theaters across North America yet, but two of the DC Comics’ film’s producers already have their sights set on getting the sequel in theaters. Hiram Garcia, President of Production of Seven Bucks Productions, and Beau Flynn, who has worked as a producer on Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson’s films dating back to 2012’s Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, are ready to get to work on a follow-up.

    Speaking to Comic Book about the timeline for a potential sequel, Garcia said, “It’s not going to take that long. I can promise you that. We always hope the first domino’s the easy one. We’ll get cooking on it fast, that’s for sure.” As is often the case, it’s possible that plenty of ideas were tossed around for a sequel during development and production on the first film. Johnson is keen on seeing his character square off with Henry Cavill’s Superman, so keen in fact that he chose to spoil the character’s post-credit scene appearance a week before the film premiered.

    Whether the script features Superman, Shazam or something else entirely, Flynn backed up Garcia’s promise. “Don’t worry. This one will be fast,” said Flynn. “We will open up the magic wagon, we’ll have the script ready, pretty fast,” added the producer. Of course, a script doesn’t necessarily mean the film will be given the green light by Warner Bros. The company is still searching for a new figure atop DC Films following the exit of Walter Hamada and the projected box office for Black Adam slipped a bit this past week following a mixed reaction in its initial wave of reviews. However, with Johnson leading the charge to make Black Adam a key character in the future of the DC Universe, it’s hard to imagine he’ll be denied a sequel.

    Black Adam is now in theaters.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • ‘Black Adam’ Now Eyeing $60 Million Opening

    ‘Black Adam’ Now Eyeing $60 Million Opening

    Earlier in the month, tracking for Black Adam had the Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson-led flick looking at a $70 million opening, with the potential to go even higher. Now, following less-than-stellar reviews, it looks like those estimates have dwindled a bit. Box office experts currently have Black Adam on track for a $60 million domestic opening.

    In the Pandemic-era, that’s not necessarily a bad number. However, Black Adam is said to have cost $195 million to produce. With such a hefty price tag, Black Adam will need to legs at the box office and hope that word of mouth among audiences is better. While that is still higher than 2021’s The Suicide Squad, which opened to $26 million while simultaneously debuting on HBO Max, it’s far behind The Batman‘s $134 million opening. That film, of course, featured one of DC’s most famous characters, the Caped Crusader. Black Adam does not have that same advantage, though.

    Black Adam will easily defeat Universal’s Ticket to Paradise starring Julia Roberts and George Clooney, which is expected to open with $15 million from 3,500 cinemas. It should also easily overtake the poorly reviewed Halloween Ends, which opened with $41 million last weekend. As is often the case with estimates, though, it’s entirely possible Black Adam could open lower than expected. Worldwide, the movie is only expected to clear $135 million worldwide. With a 55% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s possible word of mouth hurts the film, but it’s also a superhero film, so that should help push it forward some.

    Source: Variety.

  • New ‘Superman’ Project in Development at Warner Bros.

    New ‘Superman’ Project in Development at Warner Bros.

    Spoiler Note: There is a spoiler in the below article regarding Black Adam. The spoiler has been online for about a week now, but for those avoiding spoilers, please stop reading now.

    Along with the news that James Gunn is developing two more potential DC films, and Matt Reeves is seeking to expand upon his Batman universe, comes the news that Warner Bros. Discovery is finally ready to bring back the Man of Steel. The Hollywood Reporter has claimed that the studio is keen to get a new Superman project underway.

    While Walter Hamada was developing a new Superman project alongside writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, that project seems to be no more. Instead, Warner Bros. Discovery looks to be bringing back Henry Cavill in the role following a power play by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The Black Adam actor is said to have approached Hamada about bringing Cavill back, much to Hamada’s dismay. After Hamada rejected the idea, Johnson reportedly went over his head and went to Warner Bros. Pictures heads Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, who gave him the approval to bring Cavill’s Superman back. The actor, of course, will appear in an end credits scene of Black Adam. (This was revealed by Johnson himself publicly.) But now, it seems he’ll also be headlining his own project again soon.

    Interestingly, THR also noted that the studio was eyeing Christopher McQuarrie, but he’s currently busy with Mission: Impossible. With Gunn said to be developing two mystery DC projects, it’s possible Superman is one of the films he’s looking to direct.

    Source: THR.

  • Pierce Brosnan on How Doctor Strange and a Fantastic Script Led Him to a Role in ‘Black Adam’

    Pierce Brosnan on How Doctor Strange and a Fantastic Script Led Him to a Role in ‘Black Adam’

    69-year-old Pierce Brosnan is already a legend. But as if having four Bond films under his belt, including 1995’s GoldenEye, and a memorable role in Mrs. Doubtfire and 94 episodes of Remington Steele weren’t enough to cement the Irish actor’s legacy, he can now check “superhero” off his list. Brosnan’s latest endeavor finds him starring alongside Dwayne Johnson and Aldis Hodge in DC’s Black Adam where he plays Kent Nelson, aka Doctor Fate. As Brosnan enters into his fifth decade as an actor, he remains busy despite having five children and three grandchildren. As it turns out, he might have his children to thank for his latest role.

    In an interview at Black Adam’s World Premiere, Brosnan explained how his son’s fascination with another comic book doctor, Doctor Strange, among other things, inspired him to take on the role of Kent Nelson in Black Adam.

    I loved Doctor Strange and my sons, who are comic book aficionados, would say, “Dad, Doctor Strange.” Well we all know who Doctor Strange his and he is epically brilliant. Benedict…But then you have the bookend to that and it’s Doctor Fate. And Doctor Fate is much-loved, one of the senior members of the sorcerer’s world. Jaume Collet-Serra is the director. Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam. The cast. The text. The script works on many different levels. I think it covers them in a very subtle way and sometimes on the nose culturally…politically…socially. And, more importantly, in a grandiose, epic, entertaining way.

    Pierce Brosnan

    DC comic fans will know that Nelson is just one of several characters to take on the mantle of Doctor Fate but is considered to be the most powerful to have ever donned the Helmet of Fate. While the character has previously appeared in DC-related media, it’s likely that Brosnan’s version will be the one that enters into the collective consciousness of pop culture. Whether or not that means he’ll return in the role again, or if another character from the comics assumes the mantle, remains to be seen. Either way, it’s another checkmark on the legendary Brosnan’s list of achievements.

  • Dany Garcia on Easter Eggs and THAT End Credit Scene in ‘Black Adam’

    Dany Garcia on Easter Eggs and THAT End Credit Scene in ‘Black Adam’

    Black Adam stands to serve both as an introduction to a new cast of DC characters and as a bridge to the pieces of the existing DC Universe that Warner Bros. intends to keep on the board as they move forward. Dwayne Johnson’s Teth-Adam is innately connected to Zachary Levi’s Shazam, but the new film won’t feature Shazam. Rather, it features a modern-day version of the Justice Society of America lead by Aldis Hodge’s Hawkman and Pierce Brosnan’s Doctor Fate, characters who might well find themselves, or other versions of themselves, returning down the road. Meanwhile, Johnson has all but confirmed the return of Henry Cavill as Superman and he might not be the only character from another project who shows up.

    If it seems like a lot for one project, it is, but early word is that the film handles it wonderfully, working to respect what’s been done before while also setting up a different future than many might have imagined. In an interview at Black Adam’s premiere, Dany Garcia, who co-founded Seven Bucks Productions with Johnson, gave some insight into how they pulled it off and what fans might expect.

    I think they’re going to see all of the nods. They’re going to see the respect that we have for the character. They’re gonna find the easter eggs, and they’re gonna see an end credit that speaks to the past but acknowledges what’s to come.

    Dany Garcia

    As the greater DC Universe continues to face uncertainty in the wake of project cancellations, shifts in leadership and issues with some of their talent, it seems that Black Adam will be more than capable of holding down the fort now and in the future.

  • ‘Black Adam’ Writers on Bringing Lesser-Known DC Characters to the Big Screen

    ‘Black Adam’ Writers on Bringing Lesser-Known DC Characters to the Big Screen

    After being attached to the role for over a decade, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is finally set to debut as Black Adam in the character’s solo film later this month. The film will serve as an introduction to lesser-known characters like Doctor Fate, Cyclone, Atom Smasher and Hawkman. For the film’s writers, Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani, it didn’t matter whether or not these characters were well known – they simply wanted to introduce “great” characters on screen.

    While walking the film’s red carpet on Wednesday, Haines explained that introducing these characters was a collaborative effort. As he explains, it isn’t only about their screenplay, but it also comes down to the studio and the director sharing their vision for these characters.

    We think about these characters as, “Hey, here’s some great characters that hopefully an audience will enjoy. And of course we’re working with the studio and with Jaume, the director, and, of course, DJ, who is also super entrenched in this material, so really it’s a collaborative effort.

    Rory Haines

    While Haines noted the collaborative effort it took to really create these characters on screen, Noshirvani noted that the duo wasn’t really concerned with using well-known characters. Instead, it was all about taking characters they felt were generally great characters as they felt the audience would connect with them more.

    At the end of it, we’re not worried about how well-known they are, we just want to make sure they’re great characters first. Cause if they’re great characters, the fans will connect with them.

    Sohrab Noshirvani

    Black Adam is set to hit theaters on Oct. 21st. It is currently on track to earn between $70 million and $75 million.

  • ‘Black Adam’ Scribe Teases Potential Future Spinoffs

    ‘Black Adam’ Scribe Teases Potential Future Spinoffs

    After fifteen years of development, Dwayne Johnson’s superpowered passion project, Black Adam, is set to hit theaters. Set to introduce not only Johnson’s Teth-Adam but also four members of a modern-day incarnation of the Justice Society of America (Hawkman, Doctor Fate, Atom Smasher and Cyclone) and featuring the return of a couple of characters from previous DC projects, the film is laying the groundwork for a wide-range of opportunities to tell stories in the future. In an interview at the film’s premiere, writer Rory Haines was asked if fans should expect to see any additional projects spinning out of Black Adam.

    Hopefully so. DJ’s been working on this for 10 years. Obviously it’s well know…he’s not just an actor, he’s a producer, he’s a visionary himself. He has a lot of vision for this and I think fans are going to really love where he wants to go.

    Rory Haines

    Even though the film’s main plot seems set in the present, the very fact that the JSA shown in the film has a pair of legacy members opens up the potential for a JSA-centric project to be told in the past, present of future of the DC Universe. It’s also possible that solo projects for Hawkman or Doctor Fate could be on the horizon if the characters are well received. Of course, there’s great potential for a Black Adam sequel, perhaps featuring Superman or Shazam. Whatever the case, it remains clear that Johnson’s passion for the character, which was the driving force in seeing Black Adam made through all the changes over the years at WB, will shape what comes next for these characters.

  • Hiram Garcia Teases the Ambitious Plans for Superman and Black Adam

    Hiram Garcia Teases the Ambitious Plans for Superman and Black Adam

    After keeping it secret for quite some time, Dwayne Johnson slowly let the cat out of the bag over the past couple of weeks during the lead-up to the premiere of Black Adam: Henry Cavill is back as Superman. With the Man of Steel’s return to the DC Universe coinciding with the arrival of superpowered anti-hero Black Adam, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the two might run into one another down the road. According to producer Hiram Garcia, when the two do meet, it won’t be only for a brief chat.

    If those guys cross paths, it’s really not just about a showdown…there’s much more we would want to do. We like to really think about the long game. And we like to think about some really interesting long-form storytelling with two characters that are so polar opposite but kind of from the same place in terms of power and approach. So if we are able to pull that off, some way, someday those guys cross paths, it’s not gonna be a quick thing. We have some big ambitions for that.

    Hiram Garcia

    Garcia and Johnson certainly seem to have the fans in mind as they look for a way to move forward the story of Teth-Adam and the shared DC Universe. Fans have been eager for Cavill to return to the role of Kal-El that he first inhabited in 2013 and, over the last few years following his appearance in Justice League, the hopes for that return seemed to dwindle. With Cavill back on board and firmly in the mix to mix it up with Black Adam in a sequel to one or another of their solo projects, it seems Johnson’s Seven Bucks production company is taking the lead in keeping the DC Universe on track for the time being.