The Flash has faced scrutiny for over a year due to a variety of legal incidents involving star Ezra Miller. The actor was arrested twice in Hawaii on harassment and assault charges, pled guilty to trespassing after being charged with burglary, and has been accused of grooming a minor, among other incidents. The minor in question, now an adult, disputes the grooming allegation. In August 2022, Miller announced they were seeking treatment for “complex mental health issues.” Later, in January, The Flash studio Warner Bros. announced that they were standing behind the actor. You can read more about the issues surrounding Miller here.
Warner Bros./DC’s latest superhero film, The Flash, is off to a solid start at the box office, according to exclusive reports from Deadline. The movie generated approximately $9 million in Thursday night previews. While critical reception on Rotten Tomatoes dipped from 71% to 67% fresh, audience approval remains strong at 88%, which is a positive sign for the film.
Compared to other superhero films, The Flash’s Thursday previews were on par with Venom, Doctor Strange, and Aquaman. It surpassed Ant-Man’s earnings. Wonder Woman’s Thursday figures are not directly comparable as it had significant anticipation and media coverage. The Flash’s marketing strategy differed, with star Ezra Miller making a late appearance due to personal reasons.
The Flash is projected to earn $70-75 million over the weekend. If it follows the box office patterns of Doctor Strange and Venom, exceeding $80 million is possible.
Wonder Woman and Aquaman had unique box office performances. Wonder Woman opened with $103.2 million, thanks to its buzz and broad appeal. Aquaman earned $67.8 million in its three-day opening and reached $335 million in the U.S. and Canada.
In GameSpot’s The Flash review, Phil Owen writes that The Flash offers a “very decent and quite fun time travel adventure here, with a solid cast, perfectly acceptable fan service with [Michael] Keaton’s Batman and Sasha Calle’s Supergirl… plus plenty of good jokes and fun action.” However, the review also points out that the movie “goes off the rails about as completely as it could have while still bearing some resemblance to a normal movie.”
The Flash’s early performance is promising, and with the upcoming Juneteenth holiday and positive audience reception, the film has the potential for a successful box office run. Films released on the equivalent date last year saw single-digit declines from their Sunday grosses.
After years of delays and controversies surrounding star Ezra Miller, The Flash film will finally run onto the silver screen June 16. To check out other reviews of the movie, check out our review roundup.
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