Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Shazam

  • ‘John Wick 4’ Opens to an Impressive $137.5M Worldwide

    ‘John Wick 4’ Opens to an Impressive $137.5M Worldwide

    It looks like people are all-in for John Wick: Chapter 4. The franchise continues to grow and has managed to wrap up its weekend with $73.5M. That would put it above the recent $70M expected opening from 3,855 theaters. It’s come pretty far from the first John Wick‘s opening of $14.4M and has now passed the record set by the previous Parabellum entry of $56.8M.

    Internationally, the film did quite well as it passed all expected pre-release estimates and opened to $64M. As such, the film now proudly stands at a franchise’s best of a $137.5M global opening. Not many films can claim that their fourth entry managed to continue growing the franchise’s box office revenue with only nine managing to hold that title in the past 40 years.

    Lionsgate might also be quite happy as this is the highest opening they’ve had since The Hunger Games opened to $102.6M back in November of 2015. So, it has been a while since they had such a big hit in theaters. The latest film entry did make up 62% of the weekend gross and it was slim picking for the rest. Shazam: Fury of the Gods did slightly better than the expected 70% drop but a 68% drop with a $30M opening isn’t something you want to see, families truly aren’t back in theaters yet.

    Source: The Wrap, Deadline

  • ‘John Wick 4’ Eyeing $70M+ Opening as ‘Shazam 2’ Faces Harsh Drop

    ‘John Wick 4’ Eyeing $70M+ Opening as ‘Shazam 2’ Faces Harsh Drop

    We have another strong opening for a smaller budgeted project, as John Wick Chapter 4 is definitely heading for a strong $70M+ opening. It pulled in a strong $29.4M over Friday night including Thursday previews. As such, it is currently on track to $70.6M but strong word-of-mouth might even push it further. It seems that a strong push is through IMAX, PLF, and 4DX locations with over a third being from those types of theatrical experiences. It’s also showing a strong 93% PostTrak with a higher recommendation rate than even its predecessor John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.

    The target audience here remains men over 25, which made up around 48% of its viewership, highlighting their strong showing in theaters remains what is keeping the medium afloat and matches with previous record-breaking releases. Currently, the problem still remains with younger and family audiences that aren’t quite where they were pre-pandemic times, as they could’ve made a difference for more family-oriented offerings like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and even the recently released Shazam: Fury of the Gods.

    Speaking of, the Shazam sequel pulled in $2.35M on its second Friday, which is a strong 80% drop. As such, the film is expected to pull in $8.6M over the weekend. That is a 71% drop from its initial release which isn’t something a film wants with a $30M opening. To put that into perspective, that is a harsher drop than even Ant-Man 3, which at least had a $106M opening on its back to balance it out somewhat. At this rate, Shazam might not even pass $200M worldwide which it would need to break even on its production budget. FAmily-friendly superhero offerings might be suffering the most at the moment.

    Source: Deadline, The Numbers

  • Too Short: ‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’ Theatrical Window Looks to Be Closing Soon

    Too Short: ‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’ Theatrical Window Looks to Be Closing Soon

    Shazam: Fury of the Gods had a tough opening weekend at the domestic box office where it only pulled in $30.5M, not a good number for a superhero film and less than the 2022 box office bomb Morbius. The film has been harshly reviewed, especially compared to its 2019 predecessor, and the B+ Cinemascore doesn’t really bode well for it to have legs, especially with John Wick: Chapter 4 blasting into theaters this weekend. All those factors work together to paint a pretty grim picture of the future of the film and it looks like Warner Bros. may have looked at that picture and decided to shake things up.

    A listing for Shazam: Fury of the Gods on Amazon Prime Video indicates that it will be available on the streaming service as of midnight Eastern time on April 18th.

    Should that digital release date hold true, it would mean Shazam: Fury of the Gods‘ theatrical release window would end after just 32 days. Nothing is official just yet but given all the negativity surrounding the film and the competition it faces at the box office, it wouldn’t be surprising to see this pan out. Of course, this news won’t do any favors for the film’s second (or third or fourth) weekend at the box office as families who may be considering seeing the film may just opt to wait a few more weeks and catch it at home.

  • ‘Shazam 2’ Fizzled Out at the Box Office with Low $30M Domestic Opening

    ‘Shazam 2’ Fizzled Out at the Box Office with Low $30M Domestic Opening

    The debates over the box office results of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was quite all over the place, as the film faced a steep drop after its initial weekend. Yet, it still made a big splash that one expects from a Marvel Studios offering and fizzled out faster due to higher expectations on such projects and the fact that there’s always a Disney+ release around the corner, as taught in the past by how releases were handled.

    Yet, it seems 2023 isn’t kind to superhero films in general as the latest DC film, Shazam! Fury of the Gods faced an even harsher box office release with one of the worst openings for a DC Extended Universe entry. With an $11.7M Friday, the film is projected to end at around $30M. That would put it quite a bit below the initially expected $35M to $40M. Many had believed the film had a chance to garner some momentum going into the weekend but it seems it has swiftly fizzled out.

    What makes this hurt, even more, is that it’s quite a bit lower than 2019’s Shazam! which opened at $53.5M at the box office. It does have the same $100M price tag as the previous entry but with a B+ CinemaScore, the question will be how its legs perform. Many have used it as a way to get a feeling for where it’s going but its key audience families are still struggling to get back to theaters. It was a hope they might strengthen even Ant-Man‘s box office run as they had a much higher affinity with the film, but it seems they are still a market that has yet to find their way back.

    Perhaps there’s a correlation between more family-friendly offerings and the recent drop in box office for animated releases. If you’re not a “must-watch” released in theaters, they simply won’t make the trip like with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish or even Minions: Rise of Gru last year. The box office is certainly doing better but not every target audience is quite where some might have hoped it would be. So, more adult and teen-driven releases like the recent successes of Scream VI and Creed III might be on the horizon.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘Shazam’ Director Teases More is Possible in James Gunn’s New DCU

    ‘Shazam’ Director Teases More is Possible in James Gunn’s New DCU

    The moment James Gunn showcased his new DC slate for the newly founded DC Studios, many expected the current run of DC-based characters to be ending their run. No one knows if Ezra Miller will return after The Flash, especially with all the drama surrounding his public actions. Dwayne Johnson‘s JSA-focused mini-cinematic universe is definitely out after the chaos that was Black Adam. Yet, we now stand at a curious crossroads where many are wondering if they should even check out the latest DC entry.

    Of course, it’s always good to support a film no matter if it’s part of some bigger plan or not. And, for those specifically uncertain about Shazam’s future in the newly founded DCU, director David F. Sandberg has confirmed that he’s already had talks internally in regards to the franchise’s future and there’s actively no reason that they couldn’t make more films. Well, only if no one ends up watching the film.

    https://twitter.com/ponysmasher/status/1630409449860141058

    The only thing potentially hurting Shazam! Fury of the Gods is that it seemingly is not getting any real marketing push from Warner Bros. and is projected to open to a soft $40M. That is a far cry from the first film’s release and it’s unclear if it truly is just the lack of promotion or also the sour taste left by the Black Adam fallout. There’s a chance with raving reviews that it builds up more momentum and could go beyond the soft opening expectations but the question is if it’ll end up turning a profit, especially if DC Studios sees potential in at least a third entry.

    Source: Twitter

  • James Gunn Speaks Out on the Next 4 DC Projects and the Big DC Reset

    James Gunn Speaks Out on the Next 4 DC Projects and the Big DC Reset

    Peter Safran and James Gunn‘s vision for the new DCU will kick off with the animated series Creature Commandoes, continue in the streaming series Waller and begin in earnest in 2025’s Superman: Legacy. However, there are four projects left over from the old regime that are set to debut before DC Studios projects begin rolling out. At a press event in Los Angeles, Gunn explained how those projects were viewed and what potential futures they might have.

    “We will say that we’ve gotten very lucky with the next four projects,” said Gunn. “Shazam 2’ is coming out. ‘Shazam’ is kind of off to itself. But then ‘Shazam’ leads into ‘Flash’ and ‘The Flash’ resets everything. I will say here that ‘The Flash’ is probably one of the greatest superhero movies ever made,” he added. “It’s an amazing film and then it goes into ‘Blue Beetle,’ which is awesome. That has its own world and that fits directly into our DCU which goes into ‘Aquaman’ which will then lead into ‘Superman’ and the other projects that we’ll talk about in a moment.“

    Co-chair Peter Safran then chimed in with some interesting thoughts.

    These four movies are terrific. There’s no reason why any of the characters and the actors playing those characters are not part of the DCU. There’s nothing that prohibits that from happening. There is no reason why all the people you mentioned couldn’t be part of the DC. We just haven’t decided what the story that we want to tell that incorporates Shazam or Aquaman.

    Peter Safran

    So while the new vision for the DCU takes shape, there’s still room for some of the old guard, including Aquaman star Jason Momoa. Now whether or not those potential stories would be part of the main continuity or fall under the newly revealed DC Elseworlds designation remains to be seen, but the opportunity exists for more stories which is something that recently seemed unlikely.

    Source: The Wrap

  • Dwayne Johnson Turned Down a Cameo in ‘Shazam 2’

    Dwayne Johnson Turned Down a Cameo in ‘Shazam 2’

    You know what’s weird? That the Shazam franchise has seemingly no real direct connection to the Black Adam franchise even though those characters are famously rivals in the original comics. During San Diego Comic-Con, Warner Bros. had a panel promoting both next entries, especially with Shazam: Fury of the Gods‘ original release around the corner, but they didn’t use the chance to have these obviously connected characters interact with each other to hype up fans. There was no Zachary Levi squaring off against Dwayne Johnson eventhough that would’ve been the perfect build-up for these two characters. Now, it seems that Dwayne Johnson has even turned down a potential cameo in the upcoming Shazam sequel.

    The Wrap’s Umberto Gonzalez took to Twitter to react to a post highlighting that these two characters won’t likely ever meet due tot he DC Studios’ shake-up with its new co-heads very likely rebooting the entire franchise. There, he highlighted that Johnson passed on a cameo in the upcoming sequel and was approached directly to join in. It would’ve made sense to also build up to an eventual confrontation in the third entry but it seems even more apparent that Johnson‘s interpretation of the character is purely as Superman’s rival.

    The actor hasn’t been subtle about it, especially trying to sell his film on the return of Henry Cavill to the role; who ironically now also won’t return again after all that work threatening Warner Bros. executives to get him back. He’s been hyping up the character’s involvement quite a bit and their “big clash” which isn’t really Black Adam’s usual M.O. to beginw ith. Characters change in adaptation but one can see that he chose a character he personally liked and wanted to turn him into a Trinity level character. You have to respect the hustle but also it’s sad that he’s also the reason Black Adam was taken out of the original script for the first Shazam film only to completely move the character away from his base mythology.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Aquaman 2’ and ‘Shazam 2’ Faces Another Delay But Eyeing 2023 Release

    ‘Aquaman 2’ and ‘Shazam 2’ Faces Another Delay But Eyeing 2023 Release

    It looks like Warner Bros. Discovery is busy shuffling their schedules once again, as we have a new delay of various projects. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has been pushed back again to December 25th, 2023. This is a massive jump considering it was already pushed back and wasn’t going to release in March next year. There’s a likely chance that they are trying to rekindle the $1 billion they made in December 2018 with the first Aquaman movie. Interestingly enough, it seems The Flash is still gunning for its current release date.

    That is not all, as Shazam: Fury of the Gods is now also pushed back once again. It was already pushed to release earlier on December 21st but now is taking over Aquaman‘s March release date. Perhaps they are hoping to replicate The Batman‘s legs with this release, but also move away from the danger that is Avatar: The Way of Water. Though it seemed like the Shazam sequel had a chance to create its own market as it had a very different demographic going against the Avatar sequel. Still, one can’t blame a studio for playing it safe with that giant tidal wave on the horizon.

    That is not all, as the upcoming Evil Dead Rise film is now a theatrical release alongside New Line’s House Party. These were originally HBO Max exclusives but highlight David Zaslav‘s continued move away from something he believes is not worth the investment for the streaming service. The Nun 2 is also set to release in September 2023 with an untitled event film scheduled for the upcoming Super Bowl weekend. We’ll have to see if anything else gets changed at this rate.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Shazam 2’, ‘Aquaman 2’ and ‘The Flash’ May Get Delayed Again

    ‘Shazam 2’, ‘Aquaman 2’ and ‘The Flash’ May Get Delayed Again

    In perhaps the most shocking film news of the year, Warner Bros. Discovery made the move to cancel HBO Max’s Batgirl after it had already completed filming. The project was axed alongside Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, an animated sequel to 2020’s Scoob!, which was also nearly finished with its production process. These decisions came as the result of a change in leadership at the company, with new CEO David Zaslav making drastic modifications to Warner Bros. Discovery’s project output in an attempt to save the business money. Other such changes include the removal of multiple previously released HBO Max Originals, such as The Witches and An American Pickle, from the streaming service for the sake of partial tax write-offs.

    A new article from The Hollywood Reporter indicates more release alterations may be coming, specifically to the company’s slate of upcoming DC films. While fans are mostly concerned about projects that have yet to begin marketing, like Angel Manuel Soto‘s Blue Beetle or Andy Muschietti‘s The Flash, THR reports that imminent entries on Warner Bros. Discovery’s schedule could be in motion as well. Shazam!: Fury of the Gods and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom are both listed as projects that might see a change in release dates in the near future. Fury of the Gods, which just had a grand showing at San Diego Comic-Con and recently dropped its first trailer, is currently set for a December 21st release, while The Lost Kingdom is supposed to hit theaters on March 17th, 2023.

    No reason was given for any potential shift, but THR did note that Aquaman may be undergoing some changes in its Batman department. Michael Keaton was reportedly set to reprise his role as Bruce Wayne from the original Tim Burton films, The Flash, and Batgirl, replacing Ben Affleck from the Zack Snyder universe as the Caped Crusader going forward. However, a recent video posted to Jason Mamoa‘s Instagram seemed to hint that Affleck would indeed return. The cancellation of Batgirl and uncertainty surrounding The Flash could mean the switch to Keaton has been undone, with THR also noting that Keaton’s original scene as Batman in The Lost Kingdom caused confusion among early test audiences. Warner Bros. Discovery has an earnings call on Thursday, and all eyes are directed toward Zaslav for answers.

    Source: THR

  • SDCC: Warner Bros.’ DC Theatrical Panel Recap

    SDCC: Warner Bros.’ DC Theatrical Panel Recap

    During the Warner Bros. Hall H panel at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, DC Entertainment gave fans new footage and insight into some of its upcoming projects. Much of the presentation focused on Shazam: Fury of the Gods and Black Adam, with respective stars Zachary Levi and Dwayne Johnson in attendance. If you missed our live coverage of the event, you can catch up on the highlights of DC’s presentation here.

    Shazam: Fury of the Gods

    The Warner Bros. Theatrical Panel opened with a sizzle reel of Shazam: Fury of the Gods. Stars Zachary Levi and Lucy Liu were in attendance along with director David F. Samberg. The sequel to 2019’s Shazam revealed its first story details. The film will take place a few years after the original, and it will see how the team is established as heroes. They will face off against the Daughters of Atlas as the villains. West Side Story actress Rachel Zegler’s role was finally revealed as well, as she will be playing Antaeus, a Daughter of Atlas.

    Warner Bros. also used SDCC to drop the first trailer for Fury of the Gods. Check it out below:

    Shazam: Fury of the Gods is scheduled to hit theaters on December 21, 2022.

    Black Adam

    DC next dazzled the Hall H audience with its Black Adam presentation, including a dramatic entrance from star Dwayne Johnson himself. Johnson was also joined by other cast members, including Jaume Collet-Serra, Aldis Hodge, Noah Centineo, and Quintessa Swindell.

    Apparently, a final cut of the film was completed just the day before the presentation. It was revealed that Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller would be returning in Black Adam, on the heels of her performances in The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker. Johnson discussed how he views Black Adam as a relaunching point for DC films and a vehicle to build the Justice Society of America.

    The Hall H audience was treated to a new trailer for the film, which was later released online. Check it out here:

    Black Adam will release in theaters on October 21, 2022

    Henry Cavill’s Absence

    While SDCC is usually all about what fans are actually given, a bit of news here comes from what did not happen during the Warner Bros. Hall H panel. Earlier rumors hinted at Henry Cavill showing up during the Hall H panel to announce his return as Superman was heavily rumored but it turns out that wasn’t the case after all. For some, the panel ended on a somber note when the expectation of Superman’s return fell through.

    Check out Murphy’s Multiverse’s live coverage of San Diego Comic-Con 2022.