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Jason Momoa’sAquaman and the Lost Kingdomis finally hitting theaters this Christmas, but early predictions paint a bleak picture for its box office. According to the predictions, the opening weekend collection of the movie is projected to be $32-$42 million. This range is lower thanThe Marvels’ opening of $47 million, which is not a good sign considering the Marvel film struggles to recoup its production budget.
Aquaman 2has a production budget of $205 million, which makes the predictions worse. Interestingly, the firstAquamanmovie was a surprise hit in 2018, grossing $1.152 billion and becoming the highest-grossing film in the DCEU.
Also Read:“I messed up my eyes. I’m just getting beat up”: Jason Momoa Doesn’t Blame James Gunn’s DCU for Aquaman 2 Giving Him Scratched Cornea and Hernia
Jason Momoa’sAquaman 2Will Suffer A Fate Lot Worse ThanThe Marvels
According toBox Office Pro, the long-range tracking predictions of theJason Momoastarrer,Aquaman 2, fall between $32-$42 million. The film’s domestic total is expected to range from $105 million to $168 million. Earlier, the site predicted an opening weekend gross of $50-$75 million forThe Marvels, however, the movie ended up grossing only $47 million.
The opening show reviews ofThe Marvelswere not so great (not so bad either), which could have further brought down the numbers for the film. The same or worse can happen withAquaman 2, given that the film reportedly underwent seven test screenings, most of them getting poor test scores. The crew had to reshoot for an additional 7-8 days to change several scenes from the movie.
One day into sample market tracking, the presales of the film are outpacingShazam! Fury of the Godsby 25 percent but lagging 62 percent behindBlack Adam. Despite these unfavorable comparisons, some factors may work in the film’s favor. For one, this Christmas lacks any other major releases and the film is in a position to draw all the holiday audiences, provided word of mouth is surprisingly positive.
Also Read:DC Spokesperson Defends Jason Momoa Amid Reports He Got Drunk and Dressed Up as Johnny Depp on Aquaman 2 Set, Tried Getting Amber Heard Fired
Other Reasons ForAquaman 2’s Poor Start At The Box Office
Aquaman 2was marred by several issues, the most important of which was the scrapping of the universe after this film. The same reason also affected another DC release of this year,Blue Beetle, which despite getting positive reviews bombed at the box office. The underwhelming performances of recent DCEU releases, includingBlack Adam,Shazam! Fury of the Gods, andThe Flash, also added to the overall struggles.
The biggest negative publicity to the film came in the form of the Depp v. Heard defamation case which involvedAquamanlead actressAmber Heard. Despite calls for her removal, the studio decided to retain her but cut out significant portions of her role in the film. One other factor, which was addressed by DC studio headJames Gunnhimself, was the superhero fatigue. Gunn mainly cited the issue with stories, which have become all too familiar to the audience.
Also Read:“The Karshon is not a shark character”: James Wan’s One Decision in Jason Momoa’s Aquaman 2 Can Ruin One of the Coolest DC Villains Ever
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdomaims to overcome these challenges with a great storyline (hopefully), when it releases in theaters on June 21, 2025.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3018
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
