Highlights
- Aquaman 2's digital release date is earlier due to underwhelming box office numbers and negative reviews.
- The original Aquaman was a huge success at the box office, earning over a billion dollars worldwide.
- Despite being relatively successful compared to other recent DC releases, Aquaman 2 failed to reach even half of the first film's earnings.
The Aquaman 2 digital release date is coming sooner than expected. However, the announcement comes after the Jason Momoa film's underwhelming box office run, which failed to reach the heights of the first movie.
The original Aquaman crushed it at the box office, earning over a billion dollars worldwide, partly due to overseas success in countries like China. The Lost Kingdom, which brought back stars like Amber Heard and Nicole Kidman, was unfortunately met with negative reviews from critics and underwhelming box office numbers. While Aquaman 2 was relatively successful compared to other recent DC releases like Blue Beetle and Shazam! Fury of the Gods, the sequel failed to reach even half of the first film's earnings.
Aquaman 2's Rotten Tomatoes Score Is One Of The DCEU's Worst So Far
Aquaman 2's Rotten Tomatoes score has finally been revealed, and so far, the DCEU might not be ending with a bang if reviews don't improve.
A recent announcement by DC Film News on X revealed that the Aquaman 2 digital release is set for January 23rd, much sooner than initially expected. Some fans expressed excitement in the comments, while others questioned the rush. One commenter stated, "I've never seen a studio hate its own movie THIS much." Another explained, "A new fail for [Warner Brothers and DC Studios] not as catastrophic as the flash, shazam 2 or [Blue Beetle] but still a flop." While Aquaman 2 outperformed other DC flops and technically made back its budget, it's still difficult to consider it a success in superhero movie terms, especially compared to these record-shattering MCU movies.
To some, the news of an early Aquaman 2 digital release may be a pleasant surprise, but for those familiar with the industry, an early digital release is never a good sign. For these blockbuster superhero movies, the objective is often to stay in theaters for as long as possible and earn the majority of revenue at the box office. However, if a film underperforms in ticket sales, a studio may move it to streaming faster to give it more chances to recoup costs and turn a decent profit. For example, following its disastrous box office bomb earlier last year, Blue Beetle finally scored a win on streaming when it debuted at the top spot on U.S. streaming charts.
Flop or not, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom marks the end of an era for DC as the final film in the bygone DCEU before the kickoff of James Gunn and Peter Safran's DCU. How Gunn's new cinematic universe will combat the widespread superhero fatigue among audiences remains to be seen.
Aquaman 2 will be released on VOD and digital platforms on January 23rd, 2024.
DC
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Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Ending, Explained
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom features an action-packed ending.
Source: DC Film News
