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Refresh for latest…: New Line/DC/Warner Bros’ Shazam! Fury of the Gods has had a less than heroic launch with $65.5M global, including $35M from the international box office. We always knew this sequel was going to come in lower than its predecessor, but the result is also far off where projections were ahead of the weekend.
Overall, the main issue on Shazam 2 appears to be a disconnect with hardcore DC fans, and, when it comes to China, an increasingly cold-shoulder approach of audiences to Hollywood fare. Fury of the Gods was simply a no-show in the PRC with a slight $4.4M weekend. Despite getting a day-and-date release there, moviegoers did not turn up for Shazam 2 (in the heady days of 2019, the first movie bowed to nearly $30M). This is part of a concerning trend in the world’s second biggest box office market where (outside of Avatar) folks have shied away from Hollywood fare. Interestingly, Shazam 2 has an 8.8 audience score on Maoyan whereas the first movie ended with a 7.9. On Douban, it had a higher score going into the frame than the original, but is now tied with it at 6.2 from critics.
Families did turn out in higher numbers over the weekend in some markets, but it wasn’t enough to jump out. Mexico gave Shazam 2 a No. 1 start at $4M (-32% versus the first movie). The UK debuted to $3M at No. 1, 39% below the previous installment; Indonesia ($1.6M), Brazil ($1.6M) and Australia ($1.6M) all follow.
As Anthony has noted with regard to the light domestic debut, you can’t fault Warner distribution for doing their jobs: They protected Shazam 2, getting it away from Avatar: The Way of Water so that it could have access to premium screens. The IMAX launch was good for $5.1M worldwide, including $2.5M from overseas.
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