„Aquaman 2“ swam to the top of box office charts with a subdued $40 million.
“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” failed to make a splash at the Christmas box office, debuting to $28 million over the weekend and an estimated $40 million through the four-day holiday weekend.
Those ticket sales were enough to top domestic charts over three other newcomers, Universal and Illumination’s animated “Migration,” Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell’s romantic comedy “Anyone but You” and A24’s sports biopic “The Iron Claw.”
But Warner Bros. and DC Studio’s “Aquaman 2” has little to boast about beyond its No. 1 spot. The sequel cost $205 million and ranks among the worst debuts of the year for a superhero movie. It’s softer than November’s misfire “The Marvels” ($47 million), which ended its run as the lowest-grossing installment in the history of Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe. “The Marvels” was shocking because it was the rare MCU movie to tumble out of the gate.
By contrast, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” is shaping up to be the fourth of four DC movies this year to crumble at the box office. Already in 2023, “The Flash” ($55 million debut), “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” ($30 million debut) and “Blue Beetle” ($25 million debut) majorly flopped in theaters.
December releases are known to start slower but enjoy staying power through the new year. That was the case with 2018’s “Aquaman,” which opened unspectacularly to $67 million and powered to $335 million in North America (and $1.15 billion globally). However, “Aquaman 2” faces choppier waters. Beyond the minimal buzz and terrible reviews, “The Lost Kingdom” is the final installment before DC’s new bosses, James Gunn and Peter Safran, reset the sprawling superhero universe without heroes like Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry to save the day.
