Unbelievable! Barbie's Box Office Triumph Could Single-Handedly Overturn The Flash's WB Woes - Expert Analysis

Summary

Contrastingly, The Flash's box-office reception has been far from desirable, bringing in a mere $107 million domestically and $267 million globally against a budget of $200 million. This underwhelming performance can be attributed to a combination of real-world events and mixed reviews.

Barbie's innovative and captivating marketing campaign, combined with its fresh and modern take on the beloved toy, has greatly contributed to its remarkable success, potentially mitigating the financial losses suffered by The Flash.

Warner Bros. may find solace in Barbie's unprecedented triumph at the box office, which could potentially offset the disappointing performance of The Flash. Both films were highly anticipated summer blockbusters that held immense potential for success. However, Barbie has already far surpassed its initial box-office projections within its first weekend of release. With a reported budget of $145 million, Barbie has already generated a staggering $155 million domestically and a remarkable $337 million globally. On the other hand, The Flash, which has been out for over a month, has only managed to accumulate $107 million domestically and $267 million worldwide, despite its reported budget of $200 million.

Barbie's exceptional box-office success has the potential to fully compensate for The Flash's lackluster performance, as suggested by box-office analyst David Herrin in his discussion with Matthew Belloni on The Town. With an outstanding debut, Barbie's box-office numbers are expected to further soar in the future. Herrin commented, "There is a strong possibility that Barbie's earnings could surpass The Flash's losses entirely."

Why Barbie Is Already Performing Much Better Than The Flash

The Flash faced numerous challenges in the real world, hindering its success at the box-office. The controversies surrounding Ezra Miller and the allegations against him overshadowed the film, leaving a permanent mark despite efforts to mitigate the damage. Additionally, the announcement of a reset in the DC Universe led by James Gunn further marginalized The Flash, making it seem insignificant in the larger context of DC's future plans and storylines. Criticism of the film's CGI and third act also contributed to its mixed reviews.

In contrast, Barbie employed a creative and engaging marketing campaign that captured attention and won over even the skeptical audience. The campaign included a teaser trailer inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey and a Barbie selfie generator, both of which encouraged active participation from viewers. These marketing efforts signaled that the Greta Gerwig-directed film would take bold and exciting risks. Barbie's memorable tagline, "If you LOVE Barbie, this movie is for you. If you HATE Barbie, this movie is for you," effectively conveyed that the film was designed to appeal to a wide range of individuals, regardless of their preconceived notions about the iconic toy and its extensive legacy.

The Barbie vs. Oppenheimer discourse was proven beneficial, as Barbenheimer achieved the fourth-highest weekend box-office earnings ever. With the return of Michael Keaton's Batman and the recent success of superhero movies, The Flash was expected to be a hit at the box office. However, the film faced challenges due to real-world circumstances and also revealed a fatigue among audiences for superhero films. On the other hand, Barbie managed to captivate audiences by giving a fresh and timely twist to the familiar toy, through effective marketing and remarkable direction, writing, acting, costumes, and production design.