Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is finally out in theaters. However, unlike the first film, the buzz surrounding the sequel hasn't been as enthusiastic as Warner Bros. and DC may have wanted, as seen in its Thursday preview box office.
In the months leading up to its release, there were reports that the production suffered several setbacks as it received disappointing test screening scores and underwent multiple reshoots.
There were also rumors surrounding the reduced screen time or potential removal of Amber Heard, who was involved in a highly publicized legal controversy.
It was since then confirmed that she remains to be part of the film.
When the review embargo was finally lifted yesterday, it received a negative reception from critics who called it a disappointing finale of the DCEU.
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Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Earned $4.5 Million in Thursday Preview
According to Deadline, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom earned $4.5 million in its Thursday preview box office, which is considered to be disappointing by pundits.
In comparison, The Flash earned $9.7 million while The Marvels, which became the MCU's first major flop, nabbed $6.6 million and ended up having the lowest opening weekend box office in the franchise's history with $46.1 million.
However, it is higher than another DCEU film, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which earned $3.4 million in its Thursday preview while Blue Beetle had $3.3 million when it was released in late summer.
Box office analyst Luiz Fernando is predicting that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom may end up grossing $26-29 million in its three-day weekend and $34-39 million in the four-day weekend, including Christmas Day.
This is not a good start for the DCEU sequel's opening weekend box office as it is an indication that it will end up becoming a major disappointment and likely continue the franchise's streak of underperforming at the box office.
A lot of fans have noticed that Warner Bros. did not shell out a gigantic marketing campaign for the film compared to their other holiday releases such as Wonka and The Color Purple.
This may have factored into the DCEU movie's underwhelming box office performance.
As we've pointed out, it also doesn't help that the reviews from critics were mostly negative, and it may have turned off some people to check out the film in a movie theater.
It is interesting to see whether the holiday season, which is usually a crowded time for moviegoers, will give the film some box office legs or have a similar performance as the other DCEU releases this year.
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