Box Office: ‘The Flash’ Paces Itself With $24.5 Million Opening Day, Pixar’s ‘Elemental’ Doesn’t Catch Fire

variety.com:

J. Kim Murphy Nine years after it was first announced, “The Flash” has finally dashed into theaters, speeding toward a debut ahead of the box office competition.

But the DC Studios film isn’t exactly matching the lightning pace of its superhero. The Warner Bros. release got started with $24.5 million on opening day, which includes $9.7 million in Thursday previews.

That’s enough to set the Ezra Miller film on a surefire pathway to a No. 1 debut on domestic charts, but it’ll be tough for the film to match its projections heading into the weekend — some bullish ones predicting a four-day bow as high as $85 million through the Juneteenth holiday. “The Flash” is debuting in the same weight class as DC peers “Black Adam” (2022) and “Aquaman” (2018), which both opened to $67 million. “Aquaman” found strong staying power through its holiday season release, finishing with $335 million in North America.

Last year’s Dwayne Johnson vehicle fell lower on the hierarchy of power, ending with $168 million. Naturally, Warner Bros. would like “The Flash,” which was directed by Andy Muschietti and cost $200 million to produce before a hefty promotional blitz, to perform closer to the oceanic adventure.