Topline
Elemental had one of the lowest-performing opening weekends in Pixar history when it premiered in theaters, bringing in $29.5 million in domestic sales from Friday to Sunday, falling more than $25 million behind The Flash, which earned the No.1 spot at the U.S. box office but still fell short of expectations, according to data released by Box Office Mojo.
‘The Flash’ brought in $55.1 million domestically in its opening weekend in theaters, though it fell … [+]
Key Facts
Elemental—which also brought in $17 million from 17 international markets according to Variety—had the lowest three-day weekend debut for a Pixar film since Toy Story, which premiered in 1995 in far fewer theaters than Elemental and earned $29.1 million without adjusting for inflation, data from Box Office Mojo shows.
Despite solid reviews and projections for a $35 million premiere weekend, Elemental fell well short of The Incredibles 2, the Disney-owned studio’s best-performing release, which earned $182.7 million in its opening weekend, as well as films like Toy Story 4 ($120.9 million open), Finding Nemo ($70.3 million) and Up ($68.1 million).
The Flash—the latest release from Warner Bros. Discovery’s DC superhero movie franchise—brought in $55.1 million in domestic sales in its opening weekend with another $75 million from 78 markets internationally, according to Box Office Mojo.
The Flash, however, underperformed when compared to other DC films’ opening weekends, like its most recent release Black Adam, which brought in $67 million in its opening weekend in theaters in October 2022.
Surprising Fact
Both The Flash and Elemental cost approximately $200 million to make, the New York Times reported.
Key Background
The Flash was expected to earn roughly $70 million in its opening weekend, according to Variety. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav called it the “best superhero movie I’ve ever seen,” after watching it three times. But audiences don’t seem to feel as strongly as Zaslav. The Flash has a 67% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 86% score from audiences. The film, directed by Andy Muschietti, stars Ezra Miller, Sasha Calle and Michael Shannon. Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton also make appearances in their former Batman roles. But much of the coverage of the film has been overshadowed by the personal controversies of its star, Miller, who faces harassment, disorderly conduct and burglary charges from a number of incidents. Among the allegations made during this time period was one that Miller had been housing a woman and her young children at a Vermont home in an allegedly unsafe environment for children where guns and ammunition were easily accessible. Miller later released a statement apologizing to “everyone that I have alarmed and upset with my past behavior” and promising to seek treatment for “complex mental health issues.”
Tangent
Meanwhile, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse slipped into the No. 3 spot domestically, earning an additional $27.8 million in its third weekend in theaters, according to Box Office Mojo. This weekend brings the film’s box office total to $253.2 million domestically.
Further Reading
‘Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts’ Narrowly Beats ‘Spider-Man’ At Weekend Box Office (Forbes)
‘The Flash’ Star Ezra Miller Controversy Explained: Harassment, Burglary Charges And More (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/06/18/box-office-struggles-elemental-posts-pixars-worst-premiere-weekend-in-decades-as-the-flash-underperforms/