The Fantastic Four suffer a significant fall in box office
Compared to its first week in theaters, Fantastic Four has suffered a significant fall in box office, despite still remaining the box office leader
The long-awaited summer movie, Fantastic Four: First Steps, continues to lead the US box office in its second week, but behind this apparent success there are figures that could be worrying to Marvel.
While the superhero team played by Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn remains in first place with $40 million, the overall picture paints a less encouraging picture.
At first glance, $40 million in its second weekend sounds impressive. However, this figure represents a 66% drop from its opening, which grossed $118 million. For Marvel, this is a red flag, especially when compared to other recent hits in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). For example: 'Thunderbolts' fell 57% in its second week, but 'Superman', the new entry in the DC Universe, only dropped 53% in the same period.
While the film has had positive reviews and a clear path at the box office, this sharp drop suggests that public interest could be waning faster than expected.
Chinese giant beats Marvel
While in the US the Fantastic Four reign, globally it's a different story. 'Dead to Rights,' a Chinese historical drama about the Nanjing Massacre, took in $82.3 million in China alone, surpassing the $79.6 million that the Marvel film grossed in 53 international markets.
This film, which chronicles the horrors of the Japanese occupation in 1937, has resonated strongly with local audiences, demonstrating once again the power of Asian cinema at the global box office.
On the other hand, 'Superman' continues to fight. In its fourth week, James Gunn's film earned $13.8 million, raising its domestic gross to $316.2 million and its global gross to $551.2 million. With these numbers, it has already surpassed 'Man of Steel' (2013) and is approaching 'Batman vs Superman' (2016).
New Releases
This weekend also saw two notable releases:
While the comedy didn't surpass the animated film, its global gross of $28.5 million (compared to $44.5 million for 'The Bad Guys 2') proves the genre still has an audience.
Now, next week, the Marvel team could face a new rival: 'Freakier Friday,' starring Jamie Lee Curtis and the return of Lindsay Lohan, promises to attract nostalgic millennials and new generations. Also coming are 'Weapons' (horror) and 'My Mother's Wedding' (a family comedy starring Scarlett Johansson).