Yahoo News The Flash opens with slow $55.1 million at the box office
James Gunn's proclamation that it's "probably one of the greatest superhero movies ever made" did not appear to gain traction with moviegoers, as DC's The Flash sped into theaters to lackluster numbers.
The flick fronted by the controversial Ezra Miller topped the North American box office, but with an unhurried three-day estimate of $55.1 million and a projected $64.0 million come Monday, according to Comscore. Worldwide, it earned $130.1 million across 78 international territories.
Directed by Andy Muschietti, The Flash follows Miller's Barry Allen/Flash as he travels back in time to stop his mother's murder and inadvertently alters the multiverse, resulting in a world without superheroes. Star-studded cameos abound as the speedster races to reverse the damage.
Also starring Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon, Kiersey Clemons, and Maribel Verdú , the film experienced an unusual promotional rollout that sidelined its lead star, who has been embroiled in personal and legal troubles following a string of arrests and allegations of abuse, grooming, and assault. Miller, who goes by they/them pronouns, made their first high profile public appearance at the film's Los Angeles premiere last week.
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics Ezra Miller in 'The Flash'
"We have a lot of empathy in general for people who need help, and especially in mental health issues," Muschietti and his sister Barbara Muschietti, a producer on the film, told EW last month, sharing that the movie was never in danger of shutting down in the wake of the controversy. "That's why they are taking the necessary steps to deal with their recovery, and we support them in that."
Black Adam had a considerably better opening for DC last year ($67 million domestic and $140 million worldwide), though The Flash managed to race past Shazam 2, which opened with an infamously underwhelming $30.1 million and $65 million worldwide in March.
Disney's Elemental opened in second place but also fizzled, debuting with $29.5 million across North America and $44.5 million worldwide. Marvel's Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse — which became the second biggest opening of 2023 when it debuted earlier this month — continued to impress at No. 3 with an extra $27.8 million, grossing $280.3 million across North America so far and $489 million worldwide.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and The Little Mermaid rounded out the top five: the former grossed an additional $20 million at the domestic box office, bringing the total to $100.6 million and $274 million worldwide; the latter grossed an additional $11.6 million, bringing the total to $253.5 million and $465.9 million worldwide.
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