THE FLASH: Insiders Break Down Movie's Dismal Box Office Performance And Marketing Mistakes

THE FLASH: Insiders Break Down Movie's Dismal Box Office Performance And Marketing Mistakes

Multiple reports shed new light on what went wrong with The Flash, including the factors that contributed to it being a box office flop, how much the studio is likely to lose, and the Ezra Miller problem.

By JoshWilding - Jun 21, 2023 09:06 AM EST
Filed Under: The Flash

With glowing reactions coming out of CinemaCon and everyone from James Gunn to Tom Cruise hyping up The Flash as "the greatest superhero movie ever made," the Scarlet Speedster's first big screen solo outing became one of the summer's most hotly anticipated titles.

And then it all went wrong. 

A dismal opening weekend saw The Flash earn just $55 million, putting it in the same ballpark as 2011's Green Lantern. Making matters worse was a lukewarm critical reception and a clear indication that audiences had also rejected the Multiversal adventure due to a "B" CinemaScore.

Variety and The Hollywood Reporter have both shed some light on the situation, with one insider pointing out that the DC Studios slate announcement was indeed a detriment to the chances of 2023's DCEU movies finding box office success. 

"It’s a perhaps unavoidable but terrible case of timing," a rival studio source says. "Audiences don’t feel like they have to invest two hours of their life because it’s not going to matter going forward."

Even more problematic is how much Warner Bros. spent marketing The Flash; it's estimated that Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom have cost upwards of $1.2 billion to market and produce in total. 

With the Shazam! sequel earning only $133 million during its entire run and The Flash opening to a mere $55 million, a massive financial loss is inevitable. "The movie should be opening at $120 million domestic," another insider states. "This is an unmitigated disaster."

The fact the studio promised the best the genre had to offer is also a contributing factor to the movie's failure. "When they called it 'the greatest superhero movie' — if it’s not correct, you’re setting yourself up to fail," an unnamed executive says. "In this environment, it’s better to underpromise and overdeliver."

Another adds, "It is unfathomable to me why Zas and James Gunn promise how wonderful any picture or new plan will be months into the future. The public doesn’t care and isn’t aware of their prognostications. Let the product talk."

Oh, and for those of you ready to blame controversial lead star Ezra Miller for The Flash's inability to deliver, one insider has a very different take. "No one would care if Miller promoted the picture; he isn’t a movie star and has no following."

All eyes are now on The Flash as it heads into its second weekend in theaters. Believe it or not, there's already talk that it will be beaten to #1 by Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, another reality-hopping adventure which opened at the start of June. 

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ProfessorWhy
ProfessorWhy - 6/21/2023, 9:34 AM
The Flush 🚽
DrReedRichards
DrReedRichards - 6/21/2023, 9:37 AM
@ProfessorWhy -

This is too perfect. 👌
Feralwookiee
Feralwookiee - 6/21/2023, 9:49 AM
@ProfessorWhy -
cham2119
cham2119 - 6/21/2023, 10:10 AM
@Feralwookiee - I have so many questions!!! where is the seat? is the cover his chest or are you just blasting shit particles everywhere. I NEED ANSWERS!!!!
Feralwookiee
Feralwookiee - 6/21/2023, 10:37 AM
@cham2119 - Now that you mention it; Where's the handle? 😳
cham2119
cham2119 - 6/21/2023, 11:25 AM
@Feralwookiee - RIGHT!?!?!? How sway, how!!!!!!!
DrReedRichards
DrReedRichards - 6/21/2023, 9:35 AM
"In this environment, it’s better to underpromise and overdeliver."

True as that may be, when you as a producer know what a steaming pile your product is, the only choice you have left is to overadvertise it, in hopes that it might bring more people in than it otherwise would.

Not justifying by any means, just elaborating on the reasoning behind this choice.
TheHumanSpider2
TheHumanSpider2 - 6/21/2023, 9:55 AM
@DrReedRichards - If you know the movie is shit, you cant overpraise it.
DrReedRichards
DrReedRichards - 6/21/2023, 10:02 AM
@TheHumanSpider2 -

Evidently they can, and they did.

Think of it this way:

What would the reception be, if they had merely advertised itas another "fun" movie? Shit about both Ezra as a troubled individual and DC as a rebooted brand is already public, so what percentage would have realistically been there opening week, compared to those that felt compelled to watch with all this praise and hype?

Logistically speaking, overselling this turd was the only reasonable course of action for WB; scummy as that may be.
TheHumanSpider2
TheHumanSpider2 - 6/21/2023, 10:04 AM
@DrReedRichards - Probably better. The word of mouth would've been better because people who saw it wouldnt feel so dissapointed.

One thing is too say " its a good movie, you will have a fun time", and a different thing is "BEST COMIC BOOK MOVIE EVER", or having the head of the freaking studio saying it is the best movie of the year...
DrReedRichards
DrReedRichards - 6/21/2023, 10:08 AM
@TheHumanSpider2 -

Respectfully but strongly disagree.

I believe the word of mouth would have been much worse, since people wouldn't have had any reason o justify this movie as "not that bad" after having been bombarded for God knows how long and by whom with messages like "you NEED to experience this unique piece of cinema".

Warner didn't just overhype The Flash. They elevated with their praise into a whole other plane of unobtainable existence, to the point where certain folks in here still try to convince themselves that the movie really is THAT good.
TheHumanSpider2
TheHumanSpider2 - 6/21/2023, 10:52 AM
@DrReedRichards - We wont agree on that, I think when you have a turd, you have to LOWER expectations. But that's just me.
DrReedRichards
DrReedRichards - 6/21/2023, 10:55 AM
@TheHumanSpider2 -

I feel like we're saying different versions of a similar thing. When you have an okay product, then yes, it would be stupid to overhype it and eventually disappoint audiences. But when you have a turd, like you just said, the only chance to sell it would be to present it as something amazing.
MochaKing
MochaKing - 6/21/2023, 12:55 PM
@DrReedRichards - okay hear me out. The producers who are just suits in WB felt the movie was great and promoted the way they felt it. I know the movie would have been great if Barry's character was less goofy. I mean yeah for comedy I get it but they should have balanced it properly. Also they could have made climax less confusing.
DrReedRichards
DrReedRichards - 6/21/2023, 1:02 PM
@MochaKing -

That... kinda makes sense?

I mean, I didn't expect WB execs to see this and think to themselves what an amazing trendsetter and piece of art they managed to fund, but then again we're talking about the same "standing ovation" crowd, so I wouldn't really put it past them.
MochaKing
MochaKing - 6/21/2023, 1:07 PM
@DrReedRichards - That's my assumption..Otherwise they would have done the Batgirl treatment on this movie if they felt it otherwise. Now they end up being losing millions in the market to make and promote this movie...
soberchimera
soberchimera - 6/21/2023, 9:36 AM
"Audiences don’t feel like they have to invest two hours of their life because it’s not going to matter going forward."
You could make that argument for any movie not taking place in a cinematic universe. Some people want to be entertained by a single film and not see part 7 out of 30 of a film series.
soberchimera
soberchimera - 6/21/2023, 9:53 AM
@soberchimera - Also, The Dark Knight Rises still made over a billion and actually made more than The Dark Knight despite it being the last film in the trilogy and "not mattering going forward".
Ha1frican
Ha1frican - 6/21/2023, 10:47 AM
@soberchimera - I think it’s different because of the fact that it WAS part of a cinematic universe that we now know is being rebooted. Like you’ll you watch an episode of a show establishing new characters when the show has already been cancelled? The expectation with non-connected films is different from ones that are supposed to be. Knowing it’s not really going to matter going forward is a big reason I’m waiting for streaming with this, then there’s obv the Ezra of it all which makes it even worse
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 6/21/2023, 1:48 PM
@soberchimera - It also doesn't explain Black Adam's dismal performance.

Why don't they use The Batman as a reason for every subsequent DCEU film failing.
Or Joker for them suddenly making way less money (remember Aquaman came out a year before Joker and made a big, round billy).

Most people are unaware of the Gods and Monsters announcement. That's a fan thing. If it's because they know there's a better DC universe out there, then it's Joker or The Batman.

Also, James Gunn actually had the opportunity to MAKE The Flash matter to the future plans. It ending with a rebooted universe was a perfect opportunity, but instead he chose to abandon it to the same hell that Batman & Robin currently burns in.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 6/21/2023, 1:50 PM
(that sort of decision making really doesn't inspire confidence btw)
BeNice123
BeNice123 - 6/21/2023, 9:36 AM
Omg… people can be so [frick]in dumb… the problem is you have a CRIMINAL AS THE MAIN CHARACTER. Theres no other factors. Its it only one factor! Just one!
soberchimera
soberchimera - 6/21/2023, 9:39 AM
@BeNice123 - Also, public interest in the DC brand is dead, they haven't had a profitable film since Aquaman I believe.
AllsGood
AllsGood - 6/21/2023, 9:42 AM
A dismal opening weekend saw The Flash earn just $55 million.

JFerguson
JFerguson - 6/21/2023, 9:44 AM
should have doubled down on the delays and worked on the cgi some more

ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 6/21/2023, 2:09 PM
@JFerguson - Yes. This.

I know it would have been pricey to reshoot with another actor but it would have actually been worth it, it would have given them time to fix the VFX and even the script.

A major criticism of the movie is that it felt like a sequel to a movie that didn't happen. This has been a big problem with the Snyderverse since 2016, with the only movies that didn't make people feel like they'd skipped a few chapters being Wonder Woman and Aquaman.
So I would have spent less time in the Snyderverse. I would not have done a mini-Justice League sequel, because nobody saw or cared abouut that movie.

I would have started the film with the scenes detailing Barry's mother's murder and then ACTUALLY SHOWN THE ORIGIN and then had the opening sequence with the babies take place during the Man of Steel finale (so like the opening of BvS but from a third perspective with nods to Bruce Wayne's involvement in the BvS version too). Flash would have been in his proto-suit and it would set-up the finale better.

Then we're back in the present with Barry talking to Batfleck. He's been sharing his origins this whole time and they're having a heart to heart. Basically the same scene as was in the movie talking about time travel (which he would have almost done in the Man of Steel segment).
Then he's looking at the video evidence and checking the footage and talking to his dad on the phone and it's then that he realises that he could just change one little thing and he's gone back in time after only 10 minutes of the movie.
(So no Iris. She served no purpose in this movie whatsoever. And no early Star Labs thing with his boss and colleagues or any of that. It's fat and sets up nothing (well nothing so vital).

Then I would have him meet Keaton around the 20-30 minute mark (plot point 1) and that means we get to actually write an actual story for the second and third act instead of just getting the characters from A-B and then killing them.

With necessary script changes, more improved CG, NO EZRA and a good year or so of build up (this time with fans not restraining themselves), this movie would be a big blockbuster event.

They could have also segued into the DCU a lot more easily because it would have come at the end of all the other movies and just before the new movies. They could have set-up the new Batman at the end of it for Brave and the Bold.

The Flash is fixable. It's not the worst DCEU movie. But with Ezra and that CG? It was always doomed to die. It was a fixed point in the timeline where they refuse to recast.

Honestly a better version of this with Calle as Supergirl and Keaton as Batman would have [frick]ing killed at the box office (instead of the box office killing it).
JFerguson
JFerguson - 6/21/2023, 3:34 PM
@ObserverIO - That's in-depth and I like everything you're saying. Tie-ing up the loose ends to the DCEU are unfortunately something this movie absolutely had to do. I agree it is a fixable movie in terms of CGI and editing, but even then I think this movie would have only done Black Adam numbers.

The general public still doesn't have faith in DC movies and Ezra Miller is still a criminal. They were either very smart or very lucky with the timing of their crimes, because the movie was basically done when we first heard word about the shit they did.

Also, I haven't actually watched the movie because I don't want to support it in theaters, but I appreciate you taking the time to try to explain what could have been.
dragon316
dragon316 - 6/21/2023, 3:39 PM
@JFerguson - good cgi doesn’t make movie success all time it’s other things
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 6/21/2023, 4:20 PM
@JFerguson - not a problem, thanks for the feedback.
TheVandalore
TheVandalore - 6/21/2023, 9:44 AM
I'm honestly surprised that enough of the mainstream audiences are aware of Ezra's crimes to make THIS much of a dent at the box office. But the proof is in the numbers. If it's not the Ezra issue, it is 100% that DC in its current state is a genuinely damaged brand in the eyes of the general audience and DC films just don't draw big numbers anymore.
TheVandalore
TheVandalore - 6/21/2023, 9:46 AM
I should say unless BATMAN is in the title and is the lead.
FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 6/21/2023, 9:48 AM
@TheVandalore - They’re not. They don’t even know who Ezra is. People just aren’t interested in DC movies. This is the 6th DCEU flop in a row. Ezra weren’t in any of the previous ones.
regularmovieguy
regularmovieguy - 6/21/2023, 9:50 AM
@TheVandalore

Oh, and for those of you ready to blame controversial lead star Ezra Miller for The Flash's inability to deliver, one insider has a very different take. "No one would care if Miller promoted the picture; he isn’t a movie star and has no following."

Most of the public had no idea about Ezra Miller. Most of my friends had no idea - they just think the movie looked like shit. And they're all kind of out on capeshit nowadays.
2013venjix
2013venjix - 6/21/2023, 10:49 AM
@TheVandalore - it didn't take 19 years of development hell just see Keaton reprise his Batman role one last role. It took that long for Flash to get his big screen treatment.
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