Warner Bros. Discovery’s (WBD) “The Flash” bombed at the box office in its three-day opening weekend, securing just $55 million in its domestic debut and missing modest expectations of $70 million.
It’s a disappointing result for WBD CEO David Zaslav, who had long championed the film in early showings while also stressing the company’s DC revamp.
“DC is the biggest value creation opportunity for us,” Zaslav said in February, directly referencing “The Flash” film, in addition to the new “Superman” and “Batman” movies set for release in 2025.
Yet the franchise has clearly struggled compared to Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe — which could be a case of consumer confusion that has taken hold as filmmaker James Gunn and producer Peter Safran reset DC.
By late April, all indications pointed to The Flash opening to $100 million or more domestically. That’s when Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav took the stage at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, triumphantly telling theater owners it was the best superhero pic he’s ever seen.
The powerful executive could have easily kept a poker face and distanced himself from The Flash considering it was made by the previous regime. Instead, Zaslav bet on it as if it were his own. That included arranging for Tom Cruise — who was still basking in the afterglow of Top Gun: Maverick — to watch the movie, with his positive reaction becoming a talking point on the press tour.
