In the latest news, it seems that the DC film “The Suicide Squad” is not living up to its hype. Since it premiered in theaters on August 6th, the film has achieved critical acclaim from many critics alike, receiving 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. Even with critical success, it still underperformed during its opening weekend. Per reports, the James Dunn-directed film that stars Idris Elba, John Cena, and Margot Robbie opened to an estimated $26.5 million at the North American box office. Those numbers are below the previous industry projections that predicted the film to gross around $30 million. Internationally the film grossed $35 million from 70 overseas territories, bringing its global tally to $72.2 million.
Several factors contributed to “The Suicide Squad’s lack of success, including the growing concern over the Delta variant of COVID-19. According to CNN, those concerns may have scared many consumers away from in-person viewing of the film. Another factor for box office underperformance is that the film also premiered on HBO Max at no extra charge for their subscribers. This streaming option could have affected box office ticket sales. Although Warner Bros has not released any streaming viewership numbers for its films, HBO Max chief Andy Forssell revealed that Suicide Squad is the second-most viewed opening of any film premiering day-and-date on the streaming service.
