‘The Suicide Squad’ Posts Best R-Rated Opening During Pandemic With $26.5M
When it comes to the lackluster result of Warner Bros.’ latest The Suicide Squad at $26.5M this past weekend, one can blame the variant, and they can definitely blame HBO Max, but they’ll also need to blame the brand. Several reasons are weighing down on why this well-intended and valiant effort by the studio to improve a damaged franchise went wrong.
The whole HBO Max factor –and piracy– just kills the film’s legs at the box office, and that has statistically been proven time and again during the pandemic. Also, with a title like The Suicide Squad, a studio is just telling the audience they’ve already seen this movie before.
It comes as no surprise to hear that the under 18 demo gave Suicide Squad an A-, given the overall positive vibe (9 out of a 10) that RelishMix was hearing about the film on social media. After Birds of Prey flew into a spinning fan, maybe it wasn’t wise to keep Suicide Squad R-rated; perhaps it left this demo and families sidelined at home to watch the movie on HBO Max, instead of heading out to the theater. RelishMix further points out that on social, Suicide Squad was strong on all metrics with 12 owned videos on YouTube which had a strong viral rate of 25:1 and 187.9M owned and earned views. The total social media awareness level with cast is also 69% above the norm counting 478.9M across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. There was a huge combined WarnerMedia cross-promotional force of WB Pictures 56.8M (the WB Pictures YouTube channel close to crossing 10M), Suicide Squad‘s 8.7M, HBO Max’s 3.3M and DC’s 25.2M.
The Suicide Squad looks like one of those films that casting Directors talk about, that insist that all cast be on social media. With the exception of Pete Davidson 127K and Taika Waititi 4.7M who are social but not activated — John Cena brings 82.7M, Margot Robbie with 34.2M, King Shark voice Sly Stalone with 22.9M, Idris Elba 16.9M, Viola Davis 12.4M, Storm Reid 1.6M, and director James Gunn with another 3.4M fans, all activated — at 189.2M total for the cast. Pretty good.
Fans are piling on convo comparisons to the first Suicide Squad to Birds Of Prey and high hope for SS2 and positive notes from fans who’ve had sneak peeks — with passions for Margot Robbie Halloween costumes, John Cena, Idris Elba and Joel Kinnaman — plus how the King Shark voice from Sly Stallone is the obvious Goot of this franchise. “I don’t want to do your first work” mentions for the Steely Dan song from the trailer are also enthusiastic as well as for James Gunn coming over from Guardians and connections to his 1.6M social fanbase as a director.
Sly and John Cena at GMA.
A return to movie premieres in Westwood.
