And so, it seems, the DC Extended Universe will go out with a tiny splash rather than a bang, asAquaman and the Lost Kingdomlands in theaters floating face first in the water following a wildly underwhelming opening weekend.Domestically the film took in $28.1 millionover the three-day weekend, while it took another $80.1 million overseas. This brings the global opening weekend total to $108.2 million.
In contrast,Aquamanin 2018 brought in $72 million domesticallyduring its extended opening weekend, and became one of only six films to gross over $20 million on Christmas Day, giving it a five-day opening of $105.7 million domestically. It maintained strong performance throughout the holiday season, eventually amassing a remarkable $1.1 billion globally — a record for a DC superhero movie, and undoubtedlythe most money ever earned by a movie featuring a drum-playing octopus.
However, the landscape for superhero films has shifted since then. This year, Warner Bros. released three superhero filmsthat didn’t perform well at the box office:Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Blue Beetle, andThe Flash.Unfortunately,Aquamanhas not proven the exception to the DC rule and has finally put the death knell into the DCEU.
DCEU 2023 Releases
Opening Global Box Office Haul
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
$65 million
$139 million
Blue Beetle
$43 million
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
$108 million
Who Is in ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’?
The cast includesJason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Nicole Kidman, Dolph Lundgren,andRandall Park.Aquaman and the Lost Kingdomhas been met with unfavourable reviews, currently holding a rotten 36% score onRotten Tomatoes— although. This reception marks the end of the current franchise iteration, with even star Momoa admitting it may well be Arthur Curry’s last stand, ahead of DC’s 2025 reboot withJames Gunn’sSuperman: Legacy.Momoa has been rumored for the role of Lobo in Gunn’s DC Universe going forward, but this may well be the end ofAquaman for the time being, unfortunately.
Collider’sRoss Bonaimegave the film a mixed review,claiming the film represents both “the best and worst of the DC Extended Universe,” while praising the performances and chemistry of Momoa and Wilson in the lead roles, noting that “these stories excel when they focus on these characters as humans, rather than as unstoppable gods. We might not be able to relate to Superman, but we can with Clark Kent, and that’s something the DCU never quite grasped.”
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdomis currently playing in theaters.
Arthur Curry, also known as Aquaman, embarks on an epic quest to a mysterious lost kingdom that could hold the key to saving Atlantis from a looming danger. Teaming up with allies old and new, he faces powerful adversaries and uncovers secrets long buried beneath the ocean’s depths.
