Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson allegedly leaked inaccurate financial information about Black Adam's profitability to the press.
DC's most recent theatrical release, following the journey of Teth Adam and the Justice Society of America, was not a smash hit at the box office.
However, Black Adam also was not a complete flop like fellow 2022 comic book movie Morbius. This indistinct range of money-making has left news outlets debating whether the film will be profitable for Warner Bros.
A report from earlier this month stated that the film would lose the studio between $50 to $100 million, causing tectonic rumbling around the industry of how Black Adam was another DC failure.
In response, another report was released to Deadline, which Johnson quickly supported in an effort to assure people that the film will turn a profit
New information has just been released on the conflicting reports.
Black Adam Reportedly Leaked Financial Numbers to Deadline
Puck's Matt Belloni revealed in a newsletter that Team Dwayne Johnson leaked the story to Deadline, according to "several Warners executives."
The report, which Belloni called "filled with false assumptions," indicated Black Adam is turning a profit of about $52 to $72 million. All revenue factors (VOD, Blu-Ray, etc) were taken into account.
Belloni went on to call this "one of the sillier trade stories of all time" and doubts that the film will reach the home entertainment numbers Johnson is expecting. The industry insider also shared his belief that the $100 million global marketing figure provided was misleading.
He finalizes his Black Adam discussion with the fact that "nearly all movies of this size will ultimately pencil out" but that won't mean "it’s considered a worthwhile movie."
The Truth About Black Adam
As Belloni sarcastically wrote, "this kind of stuff doesn’t happen at Marvel." It's a fact. This would not be happening at Marvel Studios, the studio Warner Bros. has watched turn into Hollywood's powerhouse as it plans another possible DC reboot.
Black Adam was never going to be as significant of a hit among fans as a typical MCU film, despite The Rock's direct comparison to Captain America: The First Avenger.
To be clear, the fact that the slim margins in which Black Adam will or will not be profitable are enough to show how Warner Bros. will view the project. It wasn't a monumental failure, but it also wasn't a hit that generated enough buzz to warrant a sequel.
The idea of a Black Adam 2 seems unlikely, despite producers sharing their confidence that the anti-hero will return soon.
It's clear Johnson has an immense amount of passion for this project and in many ways led the marketing for the film with his 352 million Instagram followers. A lot was riding on this for The Rock, but general audiences didn't flock to theaters for his superhero solo story.
Combine the fact that Black Adam wasn't the blockbuster hit Warner Bros. was hoping for and the fact that DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran may be hitting the reset button on the entire universe, the future for Johnson in the DCU seems bleak.
Black Adam has grossed $388.9 million globally, is available for purchase on VOD, and will be available to stream on HBO Max on Friday, December 16.
