“Black Adam”
Personal starting record for Dwayne Johnson
Despite critics’ scolding: “Black Adam” got off to a good start in the cinemas. Dwayne Johnson even celebrates a personal record.
“Black Adam” started in US cinemas with a personal record for Dwayne Johnson (50). The superhero film grossed $67 million in North America in its first weekend. As “The Hollywood Reporter” calculates, no film starring Johnson has hit such a rocket launch. Only the “Fast & Furious” films, in which the ex-wrestler played a supporting role, were able to show better numbers at the start.
Dwayne Johnson’s previous leading actor start was “Hobbs and Shaw.” The spin-off of the “Fast & Furious” saga grossed $60 million in its first weekend in 2019. Alongside co-lead actor Jason Statham (55), Johnson embodies ex-agent Luke Hobbs, who appeared in parts 5 to 8 of “Fast & Furious”.
“Black Adam”: Success despite bad reviews
“Black Adam” has grossed $73 million internationally so far, making $140 million worldwide. Not an outstanding result for a superhero film. But, as “The Hollywood Reporter” also analyzes, Dwayne Johnson’s films traditionally always need some start-up time to really take off at the box office.
The initial success of “Black Adam” is remarkable insofar as the superhero spectacle failed the critics. The film about the anti-hero from the DC universe has an average rating of just 39 percent on the collection site “Rotten Tomatoes”. On the other hand, 90 percent of viewers rated it positively.