For someone who’s called “The Fastest Man” alive, The Flash will have a relatively short theatrical run. Although that’s what happens when you flop hard at the global box office.
After posting paltry figures in its premiere, The Flash is set to end its theatrical run early and will be available on digital platforms in mid-July. The movie that was praised by industry insiders as one of the best comic book movies has screeched to a halt. The film is set to be one of DC’s worst box office bombs with the movie earning just $212 million after its second weekend.
Ticket sales have been extremely low for what will likely be Ezra Miller’s only solo movie as the Scarlet Speedster. Box office revenue dropped 73% in the comic book movie’s second weekend and industry experts estimate that the film will likely reach $280 million to $300 million at the end of its theatrical run.
The Flash was originally set to arrive on digital platforms sometime in September. Having a digital release one month after its theatrical debut means that Warner Bros Discovery and DC Studios are waving the white flag and admitting defeat.
The Flash is set to release on digital platforms July 18. You can pre-order now! #TheFlashMovie pic.twitter.com/8w3Ns0lMoa
— DC Film News (@DCFilmNews) June 27, 2023
Superhero movies typically spend around 90 days in theaters before being released on digital storefronts like iTunes, Vudu, and Google Play. Black Adam, which also didn’t meet box office expectations, spent 49 days in theaters before its digital released. The Flash will only be spending 30 days in theaters which is a disaster for DC Studios.
Many industry experts believe that Warner Bros Discovery should have opted to release The Flash on HBO Max or not released it at all. It is believed that the movie could end up losing around $200 million for Warner Bros.
The Flash reportedly has a budget of around $190 million and DC Studios spent $150 million on marketing. The studio may have incurred expenses with reshoots and additional casting changes pushing the price tag even higher. With theaters keeping half of the ticket sales, the film may not even recoup its marketing expense.
The Flash is the third consecutive box office bomb for Warner Bros Discovery following Black Adam and Shazam! Fury of the Gods. And considering that the studio shelved the $90 million Batgirl movie, Warner Bros looks to be in deep financial trouble. The company is set to release its quarterly financial results on August 3 and it may be a bloodbath as Warner Bros is reportedly $49.5 billion in debt at the end of the first quarter.
DC may be hoping to do better on digital media with The Flash. Black Adam topped digital sales charts in its first few weeks on digital platforms.
The Flash is coming to digital platforms on July 18.
