The Flash's marketing campaign has certainly been unique, with Warner Bros. utilising all manner of celebrity endorsements to convince fans to watch the movie.
It's been an aggressive approach to touting a movie which is unlikely to matter six months from now when the DCEU ends, but even DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn - who is overseeing the new DCU - has claimed The Flash is 2023's best release.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the reason for glowing comments from the likes of Tom Cruise, Stephen King, and Jaden Smith are a result of "one of the more robust screening campaigns in recent memory to build buzz." However, it may have inadvertently backfired on the studio.
One executive familiar with these screenings tells the trade, "They are spending huge, huge. This is a massive campaign."
The Flash has a reported budget of $190 million, though there are rumours that between reshoots and marketing, it's ballooned to $330 million. With that in mind, the movie being a flop is something the studio needs to avoid at all costs.
All those glowing endorsements, including Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav and Gunn's promise that it's the best superhero movie ever made, have led to "bemused head-shaking from some at Warners who question the wisdom of setting such high expectations."
One insider says, "It can’t be the studio telling you it’s good; your friends have to tell you it’s good."
With a soft $70 million - $75 million opening expected, it appears many moviegoers aren't buying what Warner Bros. is selling. The Flash currently has 71% on Rotten Tomatoes, a respectable score, but not one that suggests it's the best the genre has to offer.
Also not helping matters is Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse; a flawless Multiverse movie coming out two weeks before The Flash will do the DC Comics adaptation no favours, and next weekend promises to be an interesting one at the box office...