Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom may barely cross $100M domestic

Last Updated on November 28, 2023

December will be a stacked month for new releases, with something for everybody: John Woo action flick Silent Night, a Beyoncé concert film, the new Yorgos Lanthimos (which will be a hot awards contender), and more leading the way, while the next week brings Wonka and a Chicken Run sequel. But the one movie looking to take over at the box office is Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which will likely have a harder time coasting to glory than it may have anticipated, with so much behind-the-scenes drama and superhero fatigue.

While none of the aforementioned titles will be in direct competition with Aquaman and Lost Kingdom as far as box office numbers go – there are no “event” pictures here and Beyoncé just won’t have the pull that Taylor Swift did for The Eras Tour – pre-sale tickets are looking at fairly low numbers. According to Boxoffice Pro, said pre-sales are a whopping 62% below Black Adam, which took in $67 million on opening weekend and had a domestic take of $168 million. Meanwhile, projections are placing the Aquaman sequel at a $32-42 million opening and a total domestic haul as low as $105 million. For another comparison, the first Aquaman went on to take in $335 million domestically and $1.15 billion overall worldwide.

There are, as mentioned, a few factors at play here that could impact Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom at the box office. For starters, the movie was reportedly hit with a wave of reshoots and lackluster test screenings (and Amber Heard isn’t exactly in good graces with most moviegoers), which almost never bodes well. There, too, seems to be a sort of minor revolt against superhero movies as a whole. While superhero fatigue isn’t the sole reason The Marvels has been a dud for its studio – we’re talking a $46 million opening and a 78% week two drop – its director, Nia DaCosta, is well aware of its existence and the role it has in 2023 and going forward.

The plot of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom: “Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all. This time Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family, and the world, from irreversible destruction.”

Will you be checking out Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom crank up its box office numbers? Or does this look like another misfire from DC? Give us your take below!