La arrival ofThunderbolts* to the cinemas It has undoubtedly been one of the most anticipated events among fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (UCM) and lovers of superhero movies. This new group of anti-heroes thus represents one of the premieres This year's most talked-about films, especially given it's a risky venture within a franchise that's been going through a period of ups and downs in terms of box office results. How has it fared in theaters after its opening weekend? We'll tell you.
A positive reception from a demanding audience
Directed by Jake Schreier and starring Florence Pugh, David Harbor and Sebastian Stan (among others), the film has managed to position itself in top of the box office ranking during its first weekend. Today, Thunderbolts* has added $76 million at the North American box office and other 86 million in international markets, placing the global premiere in 162 million According to data from Comscore, Variety, and Box Office Mojo. While these figures are slightly above initial projections (which predicted between $70 and $75 million in the US), the debut still falls far short of MCU historical greats like the Avengers films or the recent Deadpool installments.
The reception of the Professional criticism, at least, has been especially favorable, with 88% positive reviews on R and a note from A- in CinemaScore, which suggests a good public disposition and, potentially, a good word of mouth that can benefit your run in theaters, so despite its somewhat lukewarm numbers, there is still hope for this proposal. These figures become even more important when you remember that the film focuses on supporting characters from the MCU and little-known antagonists, which initially posed a commercial risk. The film has also stood out in premium formats such as IMAX and 3D, accounting for up to 39% of the box office takings in its first weekend in key markets.
Comparison with other recent releases and the challenge of profitability
Despite its positive start, as we pointed out, the figures of Thunderbolts* remain below other recent Marvel bets. For instance, Captain America: Brave New World opened its commercial career with 88 million in the United States and 181 million globally, while big hits like Deadpool vs. Wolverine earned over 200 million in its first weekend alone. Compared to Thunderbolts' 76 million, the film is closer to titles like Eternals o Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which failed to meet the studio's expectations throughout its entire run.
The film's budget is around $180 million, with an estimated additional cost of over $100 million for marketing and distribution.. This implies that, following the traditional rule of profitability of the big studios, The film would need to exceed $450 million to become truly profitable.The performance of box office figures in the coming weeks will be crucial, especially since maintaining the box office following the premiere will be crucial in the absence of major immediate competitors.
International performance: How's the Spanish box office doing?
Thunderbolts* It has also been well-received outside the United States, although some markets, such as China, have shown a more lukewarm response. Figures include $4,2 million in Mexico, $3,1 million in the United Kingdom, $2,2 million in Brazil, and $2,1 million in France, although China, traditionally a key market for blockbusters, has only contributed around $9 million to date, hampered by strong local competition and a unique release schedule.
En Spain, Thunderbolts* It debuted with 1,35 million euros in the traditional weekend and 2,4 million in the first five days, some solid but somewhat discreet numbers for a Marvel premiere, falling behind, as we said, titles like Captain America: Brave New World. Even so, remaining on the billboard could allow it to climb positions, as long as interest does not wane in the weeks prior to the arrival of titles such as Mission Impossible o Lilo & Stitch.
The future of Thunderbolts will therefore depend largely on the The absence of major new releases in the coming weeks and the aforementioned positive word of mouthThe film faces the challenge of maintaining its box office takings to approach profitability, especially considering the high production and promotion costs. Furthermore, the film serves as a prelude to the MCU's next big projects, such as the Fantastic Four: Getting Started, scheduled for July 25, and the next Avengers: Doomsday. We will see.
