BLACK ADAM Passes $250 Million Worldwide But Eyes Final Total Similar To ETERNALS And SHAZAM!

Black Adam is a movie that's divided fans as much as critics, but that hasn't had too much of a negative impact on its chances of box office success. Overseas, the DC Comics movie dropped a respectful -48.6% during its second weekend of release, taking its international total to $139 million. 

Now, it sits somewhere around the $250 million mark, an impressive benchmark after just over a week in theaters. It helps, of course, that there was little in the way of competition over the Halloween weekend, and that should remain the case until Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives on November 11. 

Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson has been billing the movie as being "for the fans" to his massive social media following. However, a recent Tweet about it hitting $100 million quicker than any other DC movie (an undeniably impressive feat) may be somewhat overstating its success. 

With no China release on the horizon - which has been the case for most recent U.S. titles - Black Adam currently looks set to end its global run with $370 million - $420 million. 

That's a long way off Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (955.7 million), but in fairness, that was a sequel. However, it puts the DCU movie in the same ballpark as Eternals ($402.1 million) and Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings ($432.2 million), two movies that featured lesser-known characters that underperformed due to the pandemic. 

Black Adam doesn't have that excuse and it isn't too far ahead of Shazam! ($366 million). That was enough to secure the 2019 blockbuster a sequel, but here's the difference: Shazam! cost between $80 million - $100 million, whereas this movie cost $195 - $200 million. 

The movie is by no means a flop, but it's also not a runaway hit and numbers like these might not be enough to convince Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav that a sequel is a worthwhile investment. Needless to say, it might be time to get to work on that Shazam crossover...