The Ezra Miller-led film The Flash receives poor opening numbers at the box office as moviegoers seem to boycott the controversial protagonist
Ezra Miller’s The Flash had a shaky start at the box office after premiering in theaters on Friday.
The superhero movie, which stars the 30-year-old actor, only grossed about $24.5 million domestically, falling short of previous predictions of at least $70 million, according to TMZ.
Despite the years of hype surrounding the film’s release, the action-adventure film – initially budgeted at $220 million – also received a low CinemaScore and mixed response from American audiences.
The abysmal numbers can be attributed to the backlash surrounding the movie due to the controversy and alleged crimes committed by the Fantastic Beasts star.
As such, loyal and devoted fans of the DC franchise had previously vowed to boycott The Flash in regards to the protagonist’s multiple arrests and series of disturbing allegations in recent years.
Poor performance: Ezra Miller’s The Flash had a shaky start at the box office after premiering in theaters on Friday
In recent months, the movie and entertainment giant behind the big-budget film, Warner Bros., had held many screenings of the film, which was widely praised for Miller’s performance.
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower alum – who uses the pronouns – will play lead actor Barry Allen in the movie that was originally set to release before the pandemic in 2018.
At the time, there was great doubt whether the debut film would make it to the big screen.
Aside from the buzz, moviegoers seem to have started protesting the much-anticipated DC installment movie and its controversial star.
Although the film has received rave reviews, many fans are skeptical that Warner Bros. remains with Miller after a slew of legal troubles.
In the past two years, they had been charged with assault and burglary, as well as child care charges.
After premiering earlier this week and Miller’s first public appearance since his alleged crimes, Warner Bros. faced online backlash and fan anger for “ignoring” the scandal.
However, the studio still seems to be in on the star, as director Andy Muschietti insisted they are the only actor who can play The Flash and will most likely reprise the role in a possible sequel.
Boycotted by DC fans: The superhero movie, which stars the 30-year-old actor, only grossed about $24.5 million domestically, falling short of previous predictions of at least $70 million, according to TMZ. The abysmal numbers can be attributed to the backlash surrounding the movie due to the controversy and alleged crimes committed by the Fantastic Beasts star
Protesting the controversial star: As such, loyal and devoted fans of the DC franchise had previously vowed to boycott The Flash in regards to the protagonist’s multiple arrests and series of disturbing allegations in recent years
Box office bomb? Despite the years of hype surrounding the film’s release, the action-adventure film – initially budgeted at $220 million – also received a low CinemaScore and mixed response from American audiences.
Subject: In recent months, the movie and entertainment giant behind the big-budget film, Warner Bros., has held many screenings for the film, which has been widely praised for Miller’s performance. Although the film has received rave reviews, many fans are skeptical that Warner Bros. remains with Miller after a slew of legal troubles. In the past two years, they had been charged with assault and burglary, as well as child care charges
“I don’t think there’s anyone who can play that character as well as she does,” he had said about Miller on a recent podcast.
It is currently unknown if the surprise box office numbers will eliminate any chance of a sequel film getting the go-ahead from the entertainment conglomerate.
The poor performance was also reportedly due to cinematographer Zack Snyder leaving the DCEU and dropping out of Justice League mid-production in 2017 due to personal issues.
The director was replaced by Joss Whedon and the future of DC is now in the hands of filmmaker and studio manager James Gunn.