Black Adam debuted to $7.5 million at the box office last weekend – the best opening result since Thor: Love and Thunder.
The Warner Bros/DC film, with a reported production budget of $US190 million, stars Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson as an antihero who is bestowed with powers of the Egyptian gods. After 5,000 years of imprisonment he is unleashed into modern times – where he attracts the attention of the Justice Society of America.
Critics have largely panned the film, which currently has just a 39 per cent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, cinemagoers seem to approve – its audience score is 90 per cent.
Black Adam had 58 per cent market share in Australia, and was the only title in the country to crack the $1 million mark at the weekend. Opening on 689 screens, it came in 67 per cent above 2019’s Shazam!.
It was also no. 1 in most markets internationally, bowing to $US67 million Stateside and $US140 million worldwide.
The only other new release to make the top 10 was Disney horror Barbarian, which bowed to a soft $396,443 from 201 screens, or $436,441 with previews. When the film opened in the US/Canada in September it came in at no. 1, and has made more than $US40.2 million.
Reflecting on the weekend, Wallis Cinemas programming manager David Simpson said: “Even with the dire reviews Black Adam was by far our pick of the bunch. We loved Barbarian however knew it may not resonate with the broader horror fans.”
While Black Adam’s opening weekend was a solid state, Village Cinemas national programming manager Geoff Chard tells IF it was a little behind where it would like it to be.
“It did actually increase more than its comp titles over Sat/Sun, so it may just be missing that usual ‘rush out’ factor. Australia also over-indexed on the film compared to the US, which is quite unusual for a superhero film. It should stay at the #1 slot for the next few weeks, but will obviously be impacted severely by Black Panther: Wakanda Forever when it opens in a few weeks’ time. NSW significantly over-indexed on the weekend too, up around 35 per cent of total box office, most likely due to the rain throughout the state,” he says.
“Barbarian was an interesting one, pro-rata the opening weekend was significantly lower than in the US, but releasing up against Black Adam would have limited its capacity to perform. Hopefully the hold should be good going into week 2, as the WOM in the US on the film was very positive.”
While Black Adam isn’t the typical fare of the average attendee of Sydney’s Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace, GM Alex Temesvari tells IF it still performed modestly and weekend was still a solid improvement on the last.
“The next few weeks should be healthy, particularly with more Orpheum appropriate product entering the market place like Mrs Harris Goes To Paris, The Woman King and Armageddon Time,” he says.
Numero data puts the top 20 titles at $12.2 million, up 63 per cent on the previous weekend.
Paramount horror Smile continues to hold, dropping only 33 per cent in its fourth frame to $898,006, advancing to $6.5 million.
Don’t Worry Darling, now three weekends in for WB, stands at $6.1 million after earning another $717,615. Australia is the third highest grossing territory for the film behind the US/Canada and the UK.
Universal’s Ticket to Paradise has crossed the $15 million mark after making $594,982 in its sixth frame. The rom com is now at $US100 million globally, with Australia – where it was shot – the highest grossing market outside of North America.
Stablemate Halloween Ends plunged 64 per cent its sophomore frame, ringing up $520,683 to climb to $2.4 million.
WB’s DC League of Super-Pets has reached $17.8 million after six weekends, having made $412,443, while Disney’s Amsterdam has moved to $2.2 million after gathering $273,972 in its third.
Wog Boys Forever, the second highest grossing Australian film of the year behind Elvis, has reached $2.7 million for Kismet after a third weekend result of $177,147. Paramount+ today announced that the film will premiere on its service November 21.
Rounding out the top 10 was Paramount’s Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank, now on $3.9 million after earning $133,395 in its fifth.
Of the Australian films in release, Gusto Films’ Lost City of Melbourne is still playing multiple sessions per day at Carlton’s Cinema Nova after eight weekends in release. It has made $217,821 so far, only dropping 13 per cent to $13,236.
AACTA-nominated doco Franklin has made $263,837 after seven weekends, picking up another $8,817 over the weekend for Bonsai Films.
How to Thrive, Duy Huynh’s film exploring the science of happiness, has made $40,725 after two weekends, gathering $7,612 for Beyond Edge Films.
Roadshow’s Three Thousand Years of Longing remains on a handful of screens after eight weekends, having earnt $1.4 million.