In what is fast becoming a busy, busy week for the Warner Bros. tentpole, early figures reveal that Justice League is on course to become a box office monster, even if it falls just short of its DC peers.
Word is the ensemble piece will open in the $110m-$120m ballpark domestically, putting it significantly lower than Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice ($166 million) and Suicide Squad ($133.7 million). We should stress that these figures come from industry analysts, and are therefore not indicative of Warner’s internal estimate. Also of note, the studio is yet to make its final marketing push, so tracking could climb higher still.
Perhaps the more fitting comparison here is Marvel’s Thor: Ragnarok. Granted, the Taiki Waititi-directed threequel initially ranked higher on Fandango, though this $110m-$120m estimate puts Justice League and Ragnarok neck and neck. Positive reviews and general word of mouth have ensured the latter has become one of 2017’s most-anticipated releases, but it’d be foolish to discount DC’s costumed crusaders.
Comparable to The Avengers for the way in which it unites Warner’s on-screen heroes – namely Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman, Cyborg and Superman – Justice League is emerging from a storied production, one in which Joss Whedon was drafted in to replace the outgoing Zack Snyder.
Whether you buy into those rumors of extensive reshoots is another question entirely, but the importance of Justice League for both Warner Bros. and the DC Extended Universe cannot be overstated. The Powers That Be will be hoping Snyder’s team-up movie silences the naysayers on its way to box office glory, and it’s fair to say that a $110m-$120m opening weekend in North America is a solid start to what will be a fascinating campaign.
And it all begins on November 17th. Tickets for Justice League are now on sale via Fandango, while those conspiracies about a Green Lantern cameo just keep on coming.