Summary
- Despite finding success on digital platforms, The Flash was a financial flop at the box office, failing to resonate with moviegoers and suffering from significant drops in ticket sales.
- The film, directed by Andy Muschietti, only made $269 million worldwide, which is not enough to cover its bloated budget that includes marketing costs. It is estimated to be in debt by $31 to $51 million.
- However, those who stream The Flash on Max may find it enjoyable or even view it as the movie that DC enthusiasts have been waiting for. It will be available for streaming starting August 25.
The Flash is about to mercifully cross the finish line. Following a miserable go of it at the worldwide box office, director Andy Muschietti’s massive, financial flop managed to find some success on digital only a month after its theatrical release. And even though The Flash was the No. 1 seller on platforms like iTunes, Vudu and Google Play after it dropped on July 17, Ezra Miller’s time-traveling adventure as the Scarlet Speedster is already headed to streaming only two months after the film opened in theaters.
For those who missed The Flash in cinemas, and didn’t want to purchase it on digital, Muschietti’s entry into the world of DC Comics will be available to stream on Max starting Friday, August 25. Unfortunately, Barry Allen’s (Miller) attempt to save his mother (Maribel Verdú) from the clutches of death didn’t resonate with moviegoers when it hit theaters on June 16, and there were obvious signs of trouble right away.
The Flash was forecasted to make upwards of $75 million domestically over its opening weekend, but it only walked away with $55 million. Sadly, that was nothing because the next weekend was Titanic-esque in terms of unfathomable box office crashes. The Flash dropped a jaw-dropping 73% in its second weekend and only managed to make $15 million between June 23 and 25.
The Flash Streams on Max Beginning August 25
The Flash limped toward the Fourth of July with the hopes of taking advantage of the larger movie-going public attending screenings over the long holiday. Unfortunately, Andy Muschietti’s superhero drama collected only $7.5 million over that five-day weekend. Financially, it just got worse from there.
During its fifth weekend of release, a film that was widely considered to be a summer blockbuster heading into June, couldn’t even crack the million-dollar mark in U.S. cinemas — it made only $750,000. Consider this: Michael Keaton made more money — a $2-million salary to be exact — to return as Batman/Bruce Wayne than The Flash did in its fifth weekend domestically.
With those numbers, it’s no wonder The Flash only lasted a total of nine weekends in theaters. And after the Scarlet Speedster finally finished running, the Justice Leaguer only had $269 million to show for his efforts worldwide. Typically, that’s a lot of money, but a fortune doesn’t matter when the movie’s bloated budget comes in between $200 million and $220 million. Well, that’s still a $49 to $69-million profit, right? No, that’s wrong.
The advertising budget of a film is rarely included in the production costs. Remember how The Flash trailer dropped during the biggest football game of the year? Well, Super Bowl ads in 2023 started at a cool $7 million. So, when you tack on all of The Flash’s massive marketing campaign ($100-million range) the real cost comes in closer to $300 million or $320 million. Depending on the exact number, The Flash is in the hole a cool $31 million to $51 million!
After fans take a moment to digest those horrifying numbers, which must have stunned Warner Bros. executives, those who haven’t seen it might be pleasantly surprised to find The Flash is “enjoyable” — when they stream it on Max. Others may discover The Flash is the movie DC enthusiasts have been waiting for. The Flash streams on Max starting August 25.
