‘Blue Beetle’ Earns $3.3 Million at Thursday Box Office

Scott Mendelson
·2 min read
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Warner Bros. Discovery’s “Blue Beetle” earned $3.3 million in Thursday previews. That positions the $120 million action fantasy, which was initially intended for an HBO Max release, for an opening weekend between $22 million and $33 million. Meanwhile, Universal’s “Strays” earned $1.1 million in Thursday previews. That includes $275,000 in early access showings. The “Blue Beetle” previews began at 2:00 pm while the “Strays” advance-day screenings began at 5:00 pm.

“Blue Beetle” is caught between multiple historical landmarks

The picture enters the weekend with solid reviews (79% fresh and 6.5/10 on Rotten Tomatoes) and decent online buzz. It has nonetheless had to promote itself without its writer or its stars due to the ongoing labor stoppages. The film is the first big-deal Marvel/DC superhero flick featuring a Latino protagonist, as embarrassing as that is in 2023. It stars the likes of Xolo Maridueña, Adriana Barraza, Damián Alcázar, Raoul Max Trujillo and George Lopez.

It is a grim irony that such a thing A) only occurred as the superhero movie was on the downswing and B) debuted amid two labor stoppages which prevent the kind of coming-out party for Maridueña that benefited the likes of Simu Liu, Gal Gadot, Chris Hemsworth and Jason Momoa.

“Blue Beetle” is one of the last DC films, alongside “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” from the previous DC regime. DC Studios, overseen by James Gunn and Peter Safron, will loosely reboot the continuity beginning with “Superman: Legacy” on July 11, 2025. Although Gunn has noted that “Blue Beetle” retroactively counts as part of his in-development universe.

On the plus side, “Blue Beetle” is the last big-deal kid-friendly feature until “The Marvels” on November 10.

“Strays” is the latest attempt to revive the live-action comedy

Meanwhile, Universal’s talking animal comedy “Strays got off to a frankly middling start. It too has lacked the benefit of its human stars (Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Isla Fisher, etc.) making the talk show rounds, going viral in print profiles and the like. Unless it overperforms in walk-up purchases, the $46 million flick will open closer to $10 million than $15 million.

Hollywood has been trying to push live-action theatrical comedies back into the ecosystem, with –quality notwithstanding — mostly mediocre results. When folks get their cinematic chuckles from “Barbie” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,” the likes of “Joy Ride” or “Strays” doesn’t have a prayer.

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