Despite high expectations and a star-studded cast featuring Jason Momoa as the King of Atlantis, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom struggled to make waves at the Christmas box office, falling short of projections.
The much-anticipated DCEU sequel, directed by James Wan, opened slightly below expectations, pulling in $27.7 million over the traditional weekend and a disappointing $40 million throughout the four-day holiday frame.
With a production budget of $205 million, Aquaman 2 now joins the list of recent underperforming tentpoles from Warner Bros. and DC, including The Flash ($55 million debut), Shazam! Fury of the Gods ($30 million debut), and Blue Beetle ($25 million debut).
Despite managing to lead over newcomers like Universal and Illumination’s animated family film “Migration,” the romantic comedy Anyone but You, and A24’s sports biopic The Iron Claw, Aquaman 2 faced tough competition during the holiday season.
Optimism among movie theater owners regarding the number of new releases was met with disappointment, as the overall performance during the holiday season lacked surprise hits or potential billion-dollar blockbusters.
While December releases often gain momentum into the new year, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom entered theaters at a challenging time for superhero movies. The lukewarm reception in China, once a massive market for superhero tentpoles, contributed to the film’s international box office total of $80 million and a subdued global tally of $120 million.
Negative reviews and mediocre audience scores further added to the challenges, with the film grappling with its position as the final installment before the reset of the DC Extended Universe by new bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran.
