That’s one of the worst starts for a major Hollywood superhero film, as well as one of the worst for a title in the DC Cinematic Universe, including those released during the pandemic.
Prerelease tracking suggested Shazam! Fury of the Gods would open to at least $35 million this weekend; others believed it would earn $40 million.
Shazam 2‘s Rotten Tomatoes critics score is only 54 percent.
That compares to 90 percent for the 2019 movie. The sequel also received a more subdued B+ CinemaScore, compared to an A for the first.
Families, which played a key role in the first movie’s surprise success, remain a challenging moviegoing demo in the pandemic era. Parents and kids also turned out for the sequel.
Fury of the Gods is the 12th installment in the DC Extended Universe and the first to be released since Warner Discovery chief David Zaslav tapped James Gunn and Peter Safran to run DC Studios and engineer complete overhaul.
Fury of the Gods also comes as the future of the DC characters and actors introduced before Gunn and Safran’s takeover hangs in the balance. Superman actor Henry Cavill won’t be returning.
Levi admitted: “I’m very happy with this movie. … I hope it’s not my last.”
David F. Sandberg directed Shazam! Fury of the Godsfrom script by Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan.
Asher Angel and Zachari Levi return as Billy Bastson aka Shazam.
Djimon Hounson, Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu and, in her first film since her breakout role in Spielberg’s West Side Story, Rachel Zegler, also star.
The weekend’s other new wide release was Roadside Attractions’ Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin’s Moving On, which debuted to roughly $2 million from 791 screens. The comedy relied on older adults, which, like families, are challenged demo. Moving On came in No. 12.
Back in the top 10, Scream VI pulled in $17.5 million from 3,675 theaters for a domestic total of $76 million. The slasher picture fell 61 percent.
