After Dwayne Johnson himself broke the news thatBlack Adamwon’t be part of James Gunn’s DC Universe moving forward, new reports suggest the movie might have done even worse financially thanks to an overblown budget required to complete late reshoots.
Black Adam’sinitial budget was set at $190m, a very high number that practically put newcomer Teth Adam on the same level asDC’smore famous superheroes such asThe Flash($200m) orAquaman and the Lost Kingdom($205m), as well as most of Marvel’s recent films. However, mixed reception from both critics and audiences sawBlack Adamstruggle at the box office, at least for a blockbuster of such magnitude, with the movie making a total of $391.1m before moving on to streaming on HBO Max last week.
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That outlook paints a grim picture forBlack Adam’sfinances since, according to sources gathered byThe Hollywood Reporter, the film’s production budget skyrocketed from that $190m to $260m in its latter stages due “a costly 20-day round of reshoots undertaken after a poor test screening.” As per Hollywood’s norm, disclosed or unofficial movie budgets never account for marketing expenses, which tend to be set at a ballpark estimate of roughly twice the production budget, puttingBlack Adam’sin the $380-520m region.
Even if those figures do indeed cover a huge range, the movie’s profitability has been thrown into question over the last few weeks, with Johnson being quite adamantBlack Adammade money, in spite of the modest crowds it drew to theaters. That landscape would certainly put the viability of a sequel under the microscope, although as both Johnson and Gunn stated,Black Adamwon’t be in the DCU for the time being.
Black Adam’sstory sparks debate for superhero films, which combining both DC and Marvel’s efforts over the past two years have seen some of the worst numbers by the genre’s own lofty standards, with Disney’s 2021 slate performance shocking investors. Ultimately, ifBlack Adamdid fail from a commercial standpoint, it’s no wonder Gunn decided the antihero had to be cut from DC’s roster, especially considering Henry Cavill’s Superman had already been discarded simply due to the actor’s age.
In Gunn, DC has a very vocal creative director, who’s not afraid to speak his mind nor give fans extra details most filmmakers would keep to themselves, and his statement onDC’s future regardingWonder Womanand Gal Gadot, for example, are further proof of that.
Black Adamis currently available on HBO Max.
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