"Aquaman: Lost Kingdom" - Disappointing start in the cinemas
The second part of "Aquaman" got off to a disappointing start in cinemas. According to the industry portal "Variety ", the comic sequel "Lost Kingdom" starring Jason Momoa (44) as the King of Atlantis only grossed 40 million US dollars over the Christmas holidays. This was one of the worst starts in the history of the DC cinema universe.
The film cost 205 million US dollars
With production costs of 205 million US dollars (around 186 million euros),"Aquaman 2: Lost Kingdom" is becoming the latest underperforming film for Warner Bros. and DC. Several films have already had a poor start this year: "The Flash" (55 million US dollar debut), "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" (30-million-dollar debut) and "Blue Beetle" (25-million-dollar debut). The makers had high hopes for the "Aquaman" sequel. The first part was a complete success. The film was the king of the Christmas holidays right from the start in 2018, taking in 67.9 million US dollars on its first weekend.
The only thing that could give the makers hope now is the revenue abroad: The film took 80.1 million US dollars in 72 markets on its opening weekend - including 30.4 million US dollars in China, where it achieved the biggest start of the year for a Hollywood superhero film.
Less revenue than 2022
As reported by "The Hollywood Reporter", the fantasy flick could suffer from a general decline in moviegoers. Christmas receipts at the US box office were down on the previous year overall. Combined ticket sales in North America were down seven percent for the big holiday weekend (December 22-25) compared to 2022.
Read also:
- Caught up in the present: the end of "The Crown"
- What's next for the series hits?
- A coming and going in the teams
- 40 years of the music show "Formel Eins"
While fans worldwide eagerly anticipate the international performance of "Aquaman: Lost Kingdom," the film's disappointing 40 million US dollar opening in cinemas during the holiday season has sparked concerns for Warner Bros. and DC (referencing the first sentence and the text about the poor starts of other films). Despite Jason Momoa's compelling portrayal as Aquaman, the comic sequel has thus far struggled to match the success of its prequel, which dominated the box office in 2018 (referencing the first part's performance). With production costs reaching an impressive 205 million US dollars, the pressure on the film to recoup its investments grows even more significant (referencing the film's budget).
Source: www.stern.de
