BLUE BEETLE opening | STRAYS opening | Superheroes in 2023 update | August 18 to 20, 2023 weekend
Opening weekend box office, charts and commentary
The current weekend: August 18 to 20, 2023
1) Blue Beetle opening
- This opening is roughly a third of the average for a new superhero film. Blue Beetle was originally made for streaming, and it was relatively inexpensive to produce at around $105m. We don't track numbers for low-budget or niche superheroes, but by normal standards for the genre, this is a small opening:
Critics reviews and audience scores are very good. The movie should do well overseas — the genre is strong abroad — and superheroes are high-profile titles in ancillary markets. (More about superheroes below.)
2) Strays opening
- This is a soft opening. The weekend figure is just below average for a single episode R-rated comedy, and it’s well below average for a new R-rated comedy series. Audience ratings are good, with lukewarm reviews from critics:
There’s very little history for this kind of R-rated, talking-animals comedy. Ted 1 did very well in 2012 ($549m worldwide), followed by Ted 2 in 2015 ($216m). That movie featured a raunchy, talking teddy-bear. Strays is not in that league.
3) Superheroes in 2023 update
- Like every genre, superheroes have been rocked by the pandemic. After a dozen nearly flawless years, the genre has performed unevenly during the last 3 and a 1/2 years, including in 2023:
The two remaining titles this year — Marvels 2 and Aquaman 2 — are each following $1.1 billion-plus first episodes, and superheroes generally hold up well in their return sequel. These are giant films.
- We've heard the term "superhero fatigue" to describe the genre, but we see the ups and downs as movie-related, and not broader than that — for now. Marvel has taken some creative risks that did not work. DC Comics is in transition. Simultaneous streaming was a bust for everyone. The genre has been inconsistent, but over the last few years, the highs have been as high as before (Spider-Man 8 $1.9 billion worldwide, Dr. Strange 2 $956m, Guardians 3 $845m, Spider-Verse 2 $688m). Here’s the big picture:
The new management at DC Comics is rebuilding from the ground up. Shazam!, Black Adam and The Flash are out. The only DC title currently on the 2024 schedule is Joker: Folie á Deux in October. In 2025, DC has Superman: Legacy in July and The Batman: Part II in October. That’s back to basics.
- We're going to know more about superheroes in November and December — that’s less than three months away. Marvels 2 and Aquaman 2 are very important releases. Those two films will determine the state of superheroes in 2023 and going forward.