'Aquaman 2' struggles with $40 million debut over slow Christmas

“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” failed to make much of a splash at the Christmas box office, taking in $28 million over the weekend and an estimated $40 million over the four-day weekend.

Those ticket sales were enough to top the domestic charts over three other new films, Universal and Illumination's animated feature “Migration,” Sidney Sweeney and Glen Powell's romantic comedy “Anyonebut You” and A24's sports biopic “The Iron Claw.”

But “Aquaman 2” is produced by Warner Bros. And DC Studio doesn't have much to brag about other than first place. The sequel cost $205 million and is among the worst debuts this year for a superhero film. It's softer than November's “The Marvels” ($47 million), which ended its run as the lowest-grossing film in the history of Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe. “The Marvels” was a shock movie because it was one of the rare MCU movies out of the gate.

In contrast, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom appears to be the fourth of four DC films this year To collapse at the box office. Already in 2023, “The Flash” ($55 million debut), “Shazam! “Wrath of the Gods” ($30 million debut) and “Blue Beetle” ($25 million debut) have been major flops. Theaters.

December releases are known to start out slower but have staying power through the new year. Such was the case with 2018's “Aquaman,” which unexpectedly opened with $67 million and grossed $335 million in North America (and $1.15 billion globally). However, “Aquaman 2” faces more choppy waters. Beyond minimal fanfare and terrible reviews, The Lost Kingdom is the final installment before DC's new bosses, James Gunn and Peter Safran, reset the sprawling superhero universe without heroes like Jason Momoa's Arthur Curry to save the day.

Movie theaters are getting crowded on Christmas Day as Warner's musical “The Color Purple,” neon racing drama “Ferrari” and director George Clooney's inspirational story “The Boys in the Boat” opens in theaters. Studios and exhibitors are hoping movie attendance will rebound on Dec. 25, but it's generally a lackluster holiday season without potential billion-dollar blockbusters like “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “Avatar: The Way of Water.” mixture.

David A says: “2023 will end on a lower note,” said Gross, who runs the film consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “Business is quiet compared to last December, which saw the films “Star Wars”, “Jumanji” or the first part of the “Aquaman” movie.

Unless “The Lost Kingdom” rebounds, it will cap off a terrible year for comic book adventures. It's a shameful transformation for a box office genre that was once bulletproof. Disney's “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” ($845 million) and Sony's “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” ($690 million) were big hits, but everything else, including “Ant Marvel's “Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” has been a disappointment on the big screen.

“This genre is by no means dead,” Gross adds, and he believes 2024 offerings like “Deadpool 3,” “Joker 2” and “Venom 3” will connect with audiences. But growth stopped. “We're in a different world now.”

Elsewhere at the box office, “Immigration” opened in third place with $12.3 million from 3,708 theaters over the weekend and an estimated $17 million through Monday. It's a humble beginning for original animation, so the studio is counting on its run as recent family films like Pixar's “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” and “Elemental,” which have managed to continue selling tickets months after their debut. “Migration” has received positive reviews and received an “A” rating in CinemaScore, which bodes well for the holidays.

“Migration,” a comedy about a family of mallards heading south for the winter, cost $70 million. The film, written by Mike White and featuring voice actors Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, and Awkwafina, was an underwhelming success at the international box office, grossing $22 million after two weeks of release.

Sony's “Anyone But You,” which is rated R, debuted at No. 4, collecting $9 million from 3,055 theaters over the four-day weekend. It's a lukewarm bow for a national release, but the budget was economical, costing just $25 million.

“The Iron Claw” grossed $7.5 million from 2,774 venues during the four-day holiday period. The $16 million-budgeted drama is one of A24's select films that will open nationally rather than release in a limited release. The independent studio was optimistic about commercial appeal The Iron Claw, starring Zac Efron, tells the tragic true story of the Von Erich Family, a lineage of professional wrestlers plagued by a series of tragedies.

Indian action drama “Salaar Part 1 – Ceasefire” rounded out the top five with $5.4 million from 802 locations over the weekend and an estimated $6.3 million through Monday. Moksha Movies and Pathyangira Cinemas are distributing the film in Telugu, with a 'part 2' in development.

Without any major successes, last weekend's champion, the fantasy musical “Wonka” from Warner Bros, took second place with $26 million. The prequel, starring Timothée Chalamet as eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka, has grossed $83.5 million domestically and more than $254.9 million worldwide to date.

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