Warner Bros.
"Aquaman"
- "Aquaman" has already made over $266 million at the international box office, more than its estimated production budget of $160 million.
- Some of the pressure is off the movie as it enters its opening weekend in the US.
Warner Bros. bet that its latest DC Comics superhero movie, "Aquaman," would make a splash in China, and that bet paid off.
"Aquaman" has grossed over $266 million internationally, and its estimated production budget was $160 million, according to IMDb Pro. The movie opens in the US this weekend, and is already outpacing "Wonder Woman" in Fandango pre-sale tickets.
"Wonder Woman" opened with $103 million in the US, and while Warner Bros. is estimating $65 million for "Aquaman," industry projections put it at $120 million over the five-day holiday from Friday to Christmas, according to Box Office Mojo.
When "Aquaman" premiered in China two weeks ago, it made $94 million in its opening weekend and was the biggest movie in the world. It has since grossed a total $189 million there, according to Box Office Mojo. The following week, the movie rolled out to over 40 more international markets, including the UK, Russia, Mexico, and Brazil.
It's rare for a Hollywood movie to open in China before the US, but international box office, particularly China, has become essential for blockbusters. And China has shown a willingness this month to approve more imported movies as it looks to reach its box-office goal by the end of the year.
After the disappointing performance of "Justice League," the pressure was suddenly on "Aquaman" to steer Warner Bros.' DC Comics franchise in a new direction, and rolling the movie out in an nontraditional way has certainly helped raise its profile.
As Exhibitor Relations tweeted following the movie's China premiere, "Monsters and mayhem-just the sort of movie that slays in China." Other examples this year include two movies starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson - "Rampage" and "Skyscraper" - which were labeled as failures in the US but became success stories after opening in China.
Now, some of that pressure is off "Aquaman." The movie is entering its US opening weekend with over $250 million already to its name and a 68% Rotten Tomatoes critic score - decent compared to "Justice League's" 40%.