While the opening weekend may not match that ofBatman V. Superman: Dawn of JusticeorSuicide Squad,Justice Leagueis tracking for a very solid debut next month. Official box office tracking has the DC superhero team-up bringing in $110 million in its opening frame, with higher-end predictions putting it around $120 million. That will make it one of the biggest opening weekends of 2017 and will put it just ahead ofWonder Woman, which brought in $103 million on its opening weekend in June.
Expectations are extremely high forJustice League, so the fact that itwon’t top Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, which brought in $166 million on its opening weekend last year, orSuicide Squad, which surprised with $133 million, can be seen as a bad sign for some. However, some fans and more general moviegoers became cautious, given the (at best) mixed response to both of those movies. That said, ifJustice Leaguecan avoid negative reviews, it should be able to avoid a huge dropoff in its second weekend. Here’s what Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst with tracking company comScore, had to say about the tracking numbers.
“The highlighted presence ofGal Gadot as Wonder Womanmakes a $100 million debut reasonable. The sheer ‘must-see’ factor, given the ensemble cast of iconic characters, is undeniable, and much like Batman v Superman, the concept of the movie and the cast transcends any mixed sentiments regarding the film that may be out there in the pre-release window.”
Some very early tracking numbers hadJustice Leaguepossibly bringing in as much as $150 million opening weekend, but those predictions may have been a bit premature. Also, as we’ve seen time and time again in recent years, box office tracking can be unreliable. Just this year,ITblew away anyone’s wildest expectations ($123 million opening weekend), with much of that having to do with the very positive word of mouth and reviews. It’s entirely possible thatJustice Leaguefar exceeds expectations in a similar way, but reviews will be crucial.
Though fans are very excited about the potential that exists inJustice League, the production did experience some complications. Zack Snyder, who remains thesole credited director, stepped away from the project over a personal tragedy several months ago. Joss Whedon (The Avengers) stepped in tohandle reshoots, which are said to have been very extensive, as well as the editing process.
Even ifJustice Leagueactually earns the $110 million figure tracking is predicting, that will still make for a very strong start. AsEntertainment Weeklypoints out, with pre-sale tickets forJustice Leagueavailable now, and demand quite high, these tracking numbers could go up. In any case, the reviews, which likely won’t be online till much closer to the November 17 release date, will certainly play a huge part in the movie’s ability to endure beyond its opening weekend.
