Long-range box office tracking pointed to Blue Beetle making an underwhelming $20 million over the course of its opening weekend, and while the latest estimates aren't much better, they are a little more respectable.
Deadline reports that Jaime Reyes' big-screen debut now looks set for a $30 million bow when it releases on August 18. This would obviously be a more positive start, but can the movie ultimately prove to be a success for Warner Bros.?
Though Blue Beetle's budget ($120 million) is not on par with The Flash, the Scarlet Speedster's recent solo outing proved that the current era of DC Comics-based movies simply aren't connecting with general audiences, and since Reyes is a far more obscure character, we'd say it is entirely possible that his upcoming movie fails to make much of an impact at the box office.
Positive reviews and word-of-mouth could turn things around, but it's hard to be optimistic after seeing how the last few DC-based films performed. At this stage, James Gunn and Peter Safran have their work cut out to generate a sufficient amount of interest in the rebooted DCU.
Blue Beetle fan-screenings were held in The UK tonight, but social media reactions are still embargoed. That won't stop spoilers finding their way online, though, so if all of the movie's secrets spill before it hits theaters, we might be looking at an even lower audience turnout.
Do you think Blue Beetle will prove the analysts wrong, or are we looking at another box office bomb for Warner Bros. Discovery? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section.
"Recent college grad Jaime Reyes (Xolo Mariduena) returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it," reads the synopsis. "As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab."
"When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armour capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero Blue Beetle."
The cast also includes Bruna Marquezine, Belissa Escobedo, Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carrillo, Damián Alcázar, and Raoul Max Trujillo.
Blue Beetle is set to be released in theaters on August 18, 2023.