Say what you want about Zack Snyder’s Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice – and a lot of people have said a whole lot of things – but even over a year since the hugely divisive film hit theatres, it’s still making headlines and whether you loved it or loathed it, it’s set the foundation for an absolutely massive cinematic universe, what with the recent announcements of projects like Nightwing and Batgirl, in addition to everything else that’s already coming down the pipeline.
Not only that, but despite the critical mauling it took, no one can deny that Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice was a financial success. Sure, perhaps not as successful as Warner Bros. had hoped it would be, but a worldwide haul of $873 million is nothing to scoff at. It may not hold a candle to some of the juggernauts over in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but that’s still a lot of money – even for a film with a production budget of a whopping $250 million.
That being said, a movie featuring two of the most iconic characters in any medium, ever, should have been able to blast right through the $1 billion mark with ease, and Batman V Superman clearly didn’t. But still, $873 million is a good chunk of change and just like Suicide Squad, it proved that these films are more or less critic proof, with the ability to crush the box office even despite being dragged through the mud in the reviews.
It wasn’t only in theatres that Dawn of Justice proved to be a financial success though, as it’s also done quite well during its home video release. Ever since debuting on DVD/Blu-ray last June, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice has continued to pull in quite a bit of cash for Warner Bros. and now, it’s found itself with a huge honor. That’s because according to The Numbers, Zack Snyder’s film is the 48th best selling Blu-ray of all-time, moving an impressive 2.3 million units – which equates to an additional $53 million in consumer spending.
To put it into context, the top five biggest Blu-rays are currently Frozen, Avatar, Despicable Me 2, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Avengers, while Dawn of Justice‘s 48th spot puts it above Toy Story 3 and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1. It finds itself in the company of some other DC titles, too, as Man of Steel, The Dark Knight Rises and The Dark Knight are also on the list, though they’re all much higher up.
Still, to be included in the top 50 is a big accomplishment and when you factor in the money the film made on home video, it’s easy to see why Warner Bros. is pushing full steam ahead with their DC Extended Universe. The studio’s next step will of course be Wonder Woman, which drops in June, followed by Zack Snyder’s Justice League later on in November. And that’s just what’s coming in 2017. With the cinematic universe now well underway and everything starting to come together, it’s an exciting time to be a DC fan, even if their recent releases have been a bit underwhelming.
Hope is on the horizon, though, as Wonder Woman looks pretty impressive from what we’ve seen and there’s a cautious sense of optimism surrounding the pic. Will it be the one to finally sway the critics? We’ll find out soon enough, but for now, DCEU supporters can relish in the fact that Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice has, once again, more than proven itself to be a financial success.
Published: May 13, 2017 12:12 pm