Dwayne Johnson previously defended the box office performance of Black Adam after reports indicated the superhero film was projected to lose Warner Bros. hundreds of millions of dollars. Johnson had positioned the film as the foundation for a new era of the DC Extended Universe, a vision ultimately superseded by a reboot led by James Gunn and Peter Safran.

Years in the Making, Disappointing Results

Black Adam was over a decade in development, with Johnson attached to the role for many years. He collaborated with Jungle Cruise director Jaume Collet-Serra for the 2022 release. However, extensive reshoots inflated the budget to a reported $260 million.

The film received mixed reviews. While Johnson highlighted an 87% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, critics gave the film a 39% rating, with the consensus stating, “Black Adam may end up pointing the way to an exciting future for DC films, but as a standalone experience, it’s a wildly uneven letdown.”

'Project Hail Mary' Achieves Blockbuster Status

Despite initial optimism, Black Adam’s $168 million domestic gross has been surpassed by Ryan Gosling’s Project Hail Mary in under two weeks. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, Project Hail Mary has already grossed over $300 million against a $200 million budget.

A Sci-Fi Sensation

The film, based on the novel by Andy Weir, follows an astronaut tasked with saving Earth from an impending ice age. Project Hail Mary is expected to exceed $400 million worldwide this weekend, surpassing the lifetime gross of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune.

With a 95% critics’ score and a 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, Project Hail Mary continues to attract audiences and generate significant revenue. The film stars Ryan Gosling as an astronaut on a critical mission.