“Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ is massive for a #1 opening at the box office, though the DC Comics version is expected to fly lower than its predecessor.
Fury of the Gods grossed $11.7 million in ticket sales on its opening day, a figure that includes $3.4 million in Thursday previews. That’s nearly half of the $20.3 million the original 2019 release took in on its first day of release, and it’s well on its way to the $53 million bracket. Fury of the Gods has a production budget of $125 million, which is $25 million higher than its predecessor.
Opening in 4,071 theaters, the superhero film Part 2 will likely struggle to reach the $30 million debut. With DC Studios under the new leadership of Peter Safran and James Gunn, “Shazam! 2” represents somewhat of a relic of an ancient comic book banner system. While a movie like “The Flash” was filmed before Safran and Gunn’s tenure, the pair have often proclaimed their conviction about the quality of Ezra Miller’s upcoming movie. Gossip about the “Shazam!” sequel has been more Quiet.
The responses are also a step down from the resounding praise met with the original. “Fury of the Gods” currently holds a 26% approval rating from top critics on review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes. The film has already received a “B+” rating by the research firm Cinema Score, indicating general approval among first round ticket buyers, but even that is a notably lower grade than the film’s first “A”.
Starring Zachary Levi, “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” sees Billy Batson (Asher Angel) and his foster brothers use their transformative powers to confront the Daughters of Atlas, who threaten to destroy the world. Rachel Ziegler, Adam Brody, Lucy Liu, and Helen Mirren round out the film’s cast. David F. Sandberg returns as director.
“Scream VI” appears to be slipping into second place in its sophomore outing, projecting a 60% drop from its impressive $44 million debut. It looks like the Paramount and Spyglass Media-branded “retelling” will earn $18 million this weekend, bringing its domestic total to $76.5 million. “Scream VI” continues to do significantly better than its 2022 predecessor, which ended its theatrical run with $81 million in North America.
More is coming…
