The release of New Line/DC/Warner Bros’ film, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, has not lived up to its heroic expectations, earning $65.5 million globally, with only $35 million from the international box office. Despite projections that it would do better, the sequel has fallen short, primarily due to a disconnect with hardcore DC fans and, in China, an increasing reluctance among audiences to watch Hollywood movies.
Fury of the Gods had a disappointing debut in China, earning only $4.4 million on its opening weekend, despite being released simultaneously there. This trend of Chinese moviegoers shying away from Hollywood titles, except for Avatar, is cause for concern.
Interestingly, Shazam 2 has an audience score of 8.8 on Maoyan, compared to the first movie’s score of 7.9. On Douban, it had a higher score than the original going into the weekend, but now shares the same score of 6.2 with the first movie from critics. While families turned out in higher numbers in some markets, such as Mexico, where it earned $4 million, and the UK, where it debuted at No. 1 with $3 million, it was still not enough to surpass the success of the first movie. The sequel earned 32% less than its predecessor in Mexico and 39% less in the UK. It also earned $1.6 million in Indonesia, Brazil, and Australia, respectively.
