DCs Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom opened its domestic Christmas box office with a sluggish $4.5 million in Thursday previews, well below the $9 million the first film grossed. The sequel, which reunites director James Wan and star Jason Momoa, caps a year in which the superhero genre largely struggled at the box office.
The Warner Bros. tentpole is expected to make just $37 million to $43 million in its domestic box office debut over the four-day holiday weekend. That would pale in comparison to 2018 Aquamanand follows the recent $46.1 million box office opening debacle The wondersfrom rival Marvel Studios.
Aquaman 2which faced a difficult road to the big screen, marks the end of this DC era as new leaders James Gunn and Peter Safran reboot the DC Extended Universe in 2025 Superman: Legacy. Momoa himself has said he is unlikely to take up a third Aquaman Movie.
In 2018 AquamanThe official three-day opening over the December 21-23 weekend grossed $67.9 million. And by Christmas Day – a Tuesday – its domestic tally was a hefty $105.4 million (including several million in specials this past weekend). The Warner Bros. and DC film grossed $335.1 million domestically and $1.15 billion worldwide, the best grossing ever for a DCEU title, not adjusted for inflation.
If there is any consolation, it is this Aquaman 2 is almost certain to win in what turns out to be a slow Christmas weekend.
A number of other films will be shown opposite on Friday The Lost Kingdom. Warners has no less than three year-end Christmas films – Aquaman, Wonkawhich opened last weekend, and The Color Purple – a bold effort (not to mention both are musicals).
In another test of the appetite for theatrically animated fare, and especially original stories, Illumination and Universal are opening the tentpole for holiday animation migration on Friday. Tracking suggests the family pic will gross $14 million to $15 million within four days. In November, Disney Animation faltered when Wish opened to $31.6 million during the five-day Thanksgiving corridor, including $19.7 million for the actual weekend.
migration earned $1.5 million in previews.
There’s more to come.
