The Suicide Squad’s opening box office is the second lowest in DCEU history – CNET [CNET]

August 9, 2021 Thomas Giboney technology

The Suicide Squad was loved by critics, and directed by James Gunn — the man behind The Guardians of the Galaxy series — so you’d expect box office fireworks, right?

Well, sort of. The numbers are in for The Suicide Squad’s opening numbers and… they’re difficult to interpret.

During its opening weekend The Suicide Squad earned just $26.5 million, but it’s difficult to figure out precisely whether or not that’s a success or not. It’s the second lowest opening box office weekend in DCEU history, behind Wonder Woman 1984, which was released during a far more challenging COVID-related time period. That movie garnered just $16.7 million in its opening weekend.

Twenty-six and a half million dollars is below expectations for a movie with a $185 million budget — many expected it could hit $40 million. By comparison, Black Widow posted a $40 million opening day and movies like Jungle Cruise did $35 million in its opening weekend.

The Suicide Squad is an R-rated movie, which limits the audience, but $26.5 million is a number barely above other R-rated movies like Mortal Kombat, which scored $23.3 million, and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, which hit $24.1 million. By most measures, it appears as though The Suicide Squad, as of right now, is under-delivering at the box office.