Movie experts show an early forecast for Warner Bros’ Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and the numbers are quite disappointing. The film is expected to underperform at the box office on its opening weekend and may end up as one of the worst figures in the history of DC Extended Universe.
The first Shazam film with Zachary Levi and Asher Angel debuted at $53.5 million in 2019. The budget was reportedly around $100 million, surprisingly lesser than the average cost of producing superhero films. It made $366 million at the worldwide box office and $140.5 million at the domestic. Now, if reports are to be believed, the sequel won’t come close to these numbers.
Experts Predict Disappointing Debut For Shazam! Fury Of The Gods
NRG revealed an early prediction of $35 million to $40 million for the opening weekend. Hollywood research firms tend to skimp on their calculation, especially during the pandemic era. Meanwhile, Box Office Pro gives a more generous foretelling and estimates a $43 million to $52 million weekend debut.
It should be noted that the numbers could still go up as Warner Bros still have a few weeks to promote the movie and come up with various marketing strategies to attract viewers. Regardless, these predictions can also affect the audience’s interest and might even do more damage than help.
Zachary Levi shared that the future of the Shazam franchise will heavily rely on the success of the sequel, as DC Studios CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran assured. The actor told Den of Geek:
“I’m sure I’m gonna sit down with James and Peter soon enough, and we’ll talk about what we think the trajectory of all this will be. The success of the second movie will determine a lot.”
These unflattering calculations are crucial to Levi’s future in the brand-new DC Universe. The Shazam star has recently shared his plans for the third installment in case it pushes through, but with fans getting bored and these unfavorable predictions in mind, it seems like a pipe dream now.
Shazam Star Has Advice For Fans Losing Interest In DC Movies
There are many factors affecting the current state of the DC Universe. From the changing of studio heads to the cancelation of several highly-anticipated titles, it seems that a lot of things are happening all at once.
For fans who are feeling a bit off with the changes, Grace Caroline Currey, who plays Mary Bromfield in the movies, suggests (via The Direct):
“Well, I understand that… it can be a little bit of a silo online, especially when trailers are released… So, what I would say is: Have your own opinion. Give it a shot… There is a lot of change with the DC Universe happening… And change is scary.”
She also noted that whenever big changes happen, people tend to jump into the worst-case scenario. The actress proposes to look at the bright side as “it could be really awesome,” pertaining to the Shazam sequel.
Currey, however, revealed that she is also uncertain about the fate of her character in the new DC Universe. “I’m along for the ride. And when they say, ‘Grace, it’s time,’ I’m there…” she added.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods arrives in theaters this March 17.
Source: Box Office Pro, Den of Geek, The Direct
