The waters are turbulent for DC's aquatic superhero as 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom' embarks on its Christmas box office journey, revealing a sluggish start in Thursday previews. The sequel, helmed by director James Wan and starring Jason Momoa, follows a year where the superhero genre has faced challenges. Let's dive into the box office figures and the implications for the future of DC superheroes.
The Christmas box office run for 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom' began with a modest $4.5 million in Thursday previews from 3,040 theaters. This lags significantly behind the $9 million earned by its predecessor in 2018, signaling a potential struggle for the sequel at the box office.
Projections suggest that the Warner Bros. tentpole may achieve a domestic debut between $37 million to $43 million over the extended four-day holiday weekend. This forecast falls far short of the first 'Aquaman' and trails behind the recent $46.1 million opening of Marvel Studios' 'The Marvels.'
'Aquaman 2' faced challenges on its journey to the big screen, marking the end of an era as new DC chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran prepare to reboot the DC Universe with 2025's 'Superman: Legacy.' Jason Momoa has hinted at the unlikelihood of an 'Aquaman' threequel.
In 2018, 'Aquaman' made a splash with a $67.9 million three-day opening weekend and an impressive $105.4 million through Christmas Day. The film went on to achieve a domestic total of $335.1 million and a global box office of $1.15 billion, making it the highest-grossing DCEU title at that time.
While 'Aquaman 2' faces a challenging domestic start, it is anticipated to dominate a relatively soft Christmas weekend. The movie aims for a more significant impact overseas, where it hopes to find a stronger audience.