After struggling at the domestic box office, two major releases this weekend — Warner Bros. superhero adaptation “The Flash” and Disney’s Pixar adventure “Elemental” — failed to impress international audiences.
“The Flash” took in $75 million in its international box office debut, which isn’t so bad… except that the movie is available in 78 foreign markets. That means most of the territories played didn’t reach $1 million. China leads with a lackluster $13.8 million, followed by Mexico at $9.4 million, the United Kingdom at $5.3 million, Korea at $3.7 million and Brazil at $3.5 million.
Ezra Miller starred in “The Flash,” which earned $139 million worldwide, including a disappointing $55 million debut in North America. The film, directed by Andy Muschietti and beginning with Miller’s Barry Allen aka The Flash, must stop his mother’s murder and inadvertently open up the DC Multiverse, costing $200 million. Unless its fortunes recover in a big way in the coming weeks, it will struggle to turn a profit at its theaters.
“Elemental” faces an even darker road. The family-friendly film opened to $15 million from just 17 international markets, bringing its global tally to a devastating $44.5 million. In a note to the press, Disney noted that “Elemental” opened in very few markets and was only significant in three countries: China ($5.2 million), Korea ($3.2 million) and Australia ($1.1 million). TERMS OF BOX OFFICE CONTRIBUTIONS. Elsewhere, the movie “takes advantage of local holidays” comes out on a staggered basis.
At the domestic box office, “Elemental” flopped with $25.9 million, the worst opening in Pixar’s history. Like “The Flash,” “Elemental” cost $200 million to produce and about $100 million to promote. Audiences (at least, those who came in opening weekend) embraced the movie, but Disney needed “Elemental” to defy the odds — and then some — to justify those price tags.
Elsewhere, Sony’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” was strong with more than $500 million in ticket sales worldwide. The animated sequel added $27.6 million from 60 foreign markets over the weekend, bringing its international cume to $209 million and its worldwide total to $489.3 million.
