Warner Bros’ latest superhero offering, Blue Beetle, made its debut at the weekend box office, clinching the top spot with a solid opening of $25.4 million.
Weekend Box Office: ‘Blue Beetle’ earns top-spot in theatre earnings
While it secured the number one position, the film’s opening earnings were slightly below the recent trend of DC Extended Universe (DCEU) films, per Box Office Pro.
Here’s a breakdown of how Blue Beetle performed and how it impacted the box office landscape:
Strong Opening, Moderate Compared to Recent DCEU Releases
Blue Beetle marked a triumphant entrance to the box office, earning $25.4 million in its opening weekend.
However, when compared to other recent DCEU films, the film’s debut falls short:
- It opened 15% lower than Shazam!: Fury of the Gods, which earned $30.1 million in March 2023.
- It lagged 23% behind Birds of Prey from February 2020, which made $33.0 million.
- Despite its R-rating and simultaneous release in theatres and on streaming, it still opened 3% below The Suicide Squad, which earned $26.2 million in 2021.
- Blue Beetle also opened significantly lower than The Flash from June 2023, which boasted a $55.0 million debut.
- The film’s debut was 62% below that of Black Adam in 2022, which garnered $67.0 million.
- Moreover, Blue Beetle stood at 73% below the opening of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) lone August release in 2014, Guardians of the Galaxy, which earned $94.3 million.
Audience Demographics and Reception
The film’s audience demographics revealed interesting insights into its viewership:
- The Hispanic superhero attracted a significant 39% Hispanic audience, compared to a 27% white audience.
- The majority of viewers (65%) were aged 25 and above, positioning it older than Shazam!: Fury of the Gods (60%) but younger than The Flash (70%).
- In terms of gender, 62% of the audience was male, slightly lower than The Flash at 63%.
- The film received a CinemaScore of B+, consistent with the scores of Shazam!: Fury of the Gods and Black Adam, and higher than The Flash with a B.
Global Performance
Blue Beetle made its mark overseas as well, opening with $18.0 million internationally, contributing to a global box office haul of $43.4 million.
However, these figures were comparatively lower than recent DCEU films’ global openings:
- It fell 33% behind Shazam!: Fury of the Gods, which earned $64.7 million globally.
- It trailed 66% behind The Flash, which raked in $129.6 million worldwide.
- Similarly, it was 69% below Black Adam, which managed $142.9 million globally.
“Barbie” Holds Strong
Warner Bros’ comedy, Barbie, retained its momentum, dropping only 36% to earn $21.5 million.
After a four-week dominance at the top, the film finally relinquished the first-place position.
