Three weeks out before its release, Warner Bros. and DC Films’ long-awaited superhero team-up, “Justice League,” is currently tracking to make $110-120 million in its opening weekend, according to industry estimates.
An opening in that range would put “Justice League” on the same level as the film that started the DC Extended Universe, “Man of Steel,” which made $116.6 million in 2013.
“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” holds the highest opening in the series with $166 million, followed by “Suicide Squad” with $133 million. Earlier this year, “Wonder Woman” made $103 million in its opening and went on to gross $412.5 million worldwide, making it currently the second-highest grossing film of 2017.
Though this total might seem low for DC’s equivalent of “The Avengers,” keep in mind that Warner Bros. has yet to roll out the final stage of its marketing campaign. At the moment, moviegoers’ focus is all on Marvel’s “Thor: Ragnarok,” and will continue to be so until it comes out next Friday.
After “Thor” gets its release, expect tracking to go up after Warner comes in with a full marketing blitz for “Justice League.” Strong reviews and word-of-mouth will also be critical, as this summer saw rave reviews and audience excitement make “Wonder Woman” into the movie of the summer and one of the longest lasting films in theaters.
“Justice League” will see Batman (Ben Affleck) team up with the full stable of DC superheroes, including Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Aquaman (Jason Mamoa), The Flash (Ezra Miller), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), and the returning Superman (Henry Cavill) to battle Steppenwolf (Ciaran Hinds).
Amy Adams, J.K. Simmons, Diane Lane, Jeremy Irons Connie Stevens also star. Zack Snyder directed the film with assistance from Joss Whedon, who stepped in to complete production after the death of Snyder’s daughter, Autumn, last spring.