The Dwayne Johnson-led superhero flick was on top of the box office charts for three weeks before being bumped off by Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The Black Panther sequel ended up making nearly the same amount Black Adam made in just three days. It went downhill for Black Adam after that as the movie’s gate attendance slowed down. The film earned around $387 million after seven weeks in theaters and industry experts claim that the movie will end up losing $50 to $100 million. Now, Dwayne Johnson has come to the defense of the movie he worked on for more than a decade. The actor said that the movie is projected to turn a profit for Warner Bros. and DC Studios. The Rock tweeted that Black Adam “will PROFIT between $52M-$72M.”
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) December 7, 2022 According to a new Deadline article, Black Adam has earned $390 million in global gross revenue and spent $80 to $100 million in prints and advertising. The film will end up earning between $52 to $72 million for its theatrical run. This excludes the extra income that the movie earned from the sale of Black Adam merchandise. Interestingly, Johnson mentioned that Captain America: The First Avenger earned only $370 million back in 2011. The movie is the first solo outing for Chris Evans as the Star-Spangled Man with a Plan. The Chris Evans-led trilogy ended up earning over $2.2 billion in total. The per-movie average for the series is around $745 million. The movie also came at a time when superhero movies were just starting to carve a space at the global box office. For comparison, DC’s The Batman starring Robert Pattinson grossed over $770 million at the worldwide box office. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever currently sits at $735 million and will still be earning more as the movie is still showing in cinemas. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the undisputed king of the superhero box office this year after earning $955 million. Movie producer and financier Joe Singer weighed in on Black Adam’s reported losses. “I have read the claims that Black Adam will lose money. That is false,” Singer states. “The picture may be considered disappointing since it had Dwayne Johnson in a DC film. However, the picture will pass break-even and throw off a bit of profit.” Even if Black Adam turns a profit, Dwayne Johnson’s future in the DC Universe is still up in the air. The recent shuttering of Wonder Woman 3 has reportedly placed a damper on sequels for Superman and Batman. However, Singer argues that sequels are still the way to go. “Sequel and franchises are the life blood of our business,” Singer explains. “They have a reduced risk profile and generally a higher upside. The fact that there are discussions about a Black Adams sequel is how a studio builds long-term sustainable value.” The future of Black Adam and the rest of the DC Universe will be up for discussion next week as James Gunn and Peter Safran will be presenting their plans to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav and other key executives. Perhaps we will get a clearer picture of what the future holds for the DC Universe once Gunn and Safran make an official announcement regarding their vision for the studio and its superheroes.
