The Margot Robbie-led DC superhero pic opened almost $20 million behind expectations.
Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn failed to gain altitude in its box office debut, earning a tepid $33.3 million from 4,236 theaters to mark one of the lowest domestic launches in modern times for a studio superhero pic.
The female-led film was never meant to score a mega-opening since it is a spinoff and sports an R rating. Still, the Warner Bros. and DC title had been tracking to start off with at least $50 million to $55 million in North America, a decent start.
Birds of Prey was the weekend's only new wide release and had no trouble placing No. 1 even if it disappointed.
Cathy Yan directed the Suicide Squad spinoff, which sees Margot Robbie reprise her role as Harley Quinn. DCEU newcomers Jurnee Smollett-Bell (Black Canary), Rosie Perez (Renee Montoya), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Huntress) and Ewan McGregor also star. Sue Kroll, Robbie and Bryan Unkeless produced.
The film faced challenges before getting to the big screen. Reshoots were ordered after the studio saw a first cut, with John Wick director Chad Stahelski enlisted to work alongside Yan and infuse Birds with more action.
Before now, the lowest opener in the DC Extended Universe was Shazam! with $53 million, not adjusted for inflation.
The hope now is that movie will make up ground over Presidents Day weekend and in subsequent weeks, particularly if females start to flock to the film in big numbers.
So far, Birds of Prey is skewing male (53 percent), according to leading exit polling service PostTrak. CinemaScore, which only surveys a smattering of cinemas on Friday, showed a different result, with females making up 51 percent of its respondents.
Birds of Prey earned strong reviews, while receiving a B+ CinemaScore. One dampener could be the film's R-rating, which automatically makes it difficult for teenagers to partake. On Friday, 73 percent of ticket buyers were 25 and under, according to PostTrak.
The pic, which cost $85 million to make before marketing, also came in behind expectations in its international launch, although full weekend numbers weren't immediately available. In parts of Asia — including South Korea, a haven for superhero fare— the film was impacted by fears over the coronavirus.
Birds of Prey is another blow for Warner Bros., which has suffered a string of misses or underperformers in recent months. The big exception is Joker, which is up for a leading 11 nominations at today's Oscars ceremony, with Joaquin Phoenix considered a shoo-in for best actor.
More to come.
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February 09, 2020 at 10:32PM
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Box Office: 'Birds of Prey' Grounded With $33.3M Bow - Hollywood Reporter
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