Dwayne Johnson spent 15 years trying to get Black Adam off the ground, but there’s a growing belief that the long-awaited DCU blockbuster could turn out to be a box office dud, but is that strictly true?
Not to pit the two comic book conglomerates against each other once again, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opened to $180 million in its first weekend, while Black Adam crossed the $150 million barrier in its fourth. On a global scale, the Man in Black’s debut has squeaked past $350 million, which is decent enough.
However, with an estimated $200 million production budget, plus the additional marketing and distribution costs, an argument can be made that it’s a way away from being truly profitable. Not only that, but Wakanda Forever is aiming for virtually the exact same audience, so we can expect Black Adam‘s numbers to drop off significantly in the coming weeks.
By this time tomorrow, the Black Panther sequel will have raced past its DC bedfellow in terms of global earnings, and they cost roughly the same to make. $200 million on home soil is beginning to look out of reach for Black Adam, even if $400 million is entirely manageable on a worldwide scale.
Using the old “2.5x production budget” method generally used to determine a break-even point, Black Adam could even end up in the red before additional revenue streams begin kicking in. It might turn a profit eventually, but it may not be able to do it by the time Teth-Adam leaves the multiplex.
