Listen to this article
The sequel to ‘Shazam’ has been released in theaters, but unfortunately, it seems to have fallen short of both audience and critic expectations. Although the film has received mixed reviews from viewers, it has been met with rejection at the box office. This performance is even more disappointing for the makers of the film when compared to the success of the first installment. It appears that the makers did not prioritize marketing efforts, and as a result, they may suffer losses.
Is Shazam 2 Hit or Flop?
As per reports, ‘Shazam 2’, the superhero film produced by Warner Bros Pictures, was released on March 17, 2023, in over 4,000 theaters in the USA and has only managed to collect $11.70 million (including $3.4 million from Thursday night previews) on its opening day and $30.11 million during its opening weekend— a disappointment debut for a highly anticipated sequel from a well-established production house[1]. Overall, the sequel is currently stands at $57.63 million domestically and $75.80 million overseas, for a worldwide total of $133.43 million.
According to Hollywood sources, the production budget for ‘Shazam 2’ is around $100 million before advertising and promotion costs. Despite spending around $65-75 million on marketing, the film’s promotional campaign is perceived to be underwhelming, and it puts the break-even point at over $285-300 million. Given the current box office performance, it appears that ‘Shazam 2’ has not been profitable for the makers and is currently considered a box office failure for Warner Bros Pictures and the production team. The hope now is that the film will be able to recoup its costs, but that remains uncertain and impossible.
The potential for ‘Shazam 2’ to become a highly profitable sequel was hindered by some missteps of the makers. Their attempts to cut costs have resulted in lackluster marketing, which has proven to be a costly mistake. Furthermore, the film itself does not appear to be particularly compelling or unique, especially compared to other releases such as ‘Creed III’ and ‘Scream VI’. As a result, audiences have not been as drawn to ‘Shazam 2’ as the makers had hoped.
Regarding critical reception, ‘Shazam 2’ has received a rating of 6.1/10* on IMDb based on over 65k votes. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film scored 49/100% based on 238 reviews from critics.
Read Also: Is Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania Hit Or Flop? Will It be a Successful Box Office Run?
Is Black Adam Hit Or Flop? How’s The Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam Performed At Box Office?
