The Suicide Squad takes in $26.5m in deathly box office weekend

The Suicide Squad)
(The Suicide Squad did not kill at Box Office)

The Suicide Squad received unusually good reviews for a comic-book adaptation, plenty of social media attention, and had little to no competition on a prime summer weekend. Even so, it fell short of its conservative $30 million projection to gross $26,550,000 in 4,002 North American theaters.

The United States is averaging more than 100,000 new Covid-19 cases a day for the first time since February, as the highly contagious delta variant sparks a resurgence. It’s possible that Covid fears coupled with the collective disdain for the previous Suicide Squad film reduced viewership numbers over the weekend. 

With The Suicide Squad as the weekend’s only new wide release, the rest of the top five looked similar to last weekend. The previous session’s box-office #1, Jungle Cruise, was knocked down a peg to second place, where it racked up just under $15.7 million. Disney’s PG-13 adventure starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt dropped 55.2% from last weekend.

Those second-week numbers now bring the movie’s domestic box-office total to $65.3 million, while its $56.5 million in international receipts push its worldwide tally to $121.8 million. While Disney said that Jungle Cruise brought in an additional $30 million in premium VOD rentals on Disney Plus last weekend, they are following the trend they began with Black Widow and have not updated those streaming figures for the film’s second weekend.

Old and Black Widow slipped down the top ten list just one position each to #3 and #4, while Stillwater, starring Matt Damon maintained the #5 spot. 

A24’s The Green Knight, a fantasy-adventure starring Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander and Joel Edgerton dropped to 6th from the #3 spot last week.


REELated: The Suicide Squad: Balls-to-the-wall violence, humor and heart


Warner Bros.’ Space Jam: A New Legacy was knocked down another peg from #6 to #7 and Sony’s Escape Room: Tournament of Champions held on at #9. Universal’s F9 dropped down to #10 after last week’s #8 spot and it seems like the country is almost done with Don and his “family” appearing on the nation’s top ten box office list. 

The Top 10

1. The Suicide Squad (Warner Bros.) NEW – Cinemascore: B+; Metacritic: 74; Est. budget: $185 million; also on HBO Max

$26,550,000 in 4,002 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $6,634; Cumulative: $26,550,000

2. Jungle Cruise (Disney) Week 2; Last weekend: #1; also on PVOD at Disney+

$15,693,000 (-55%) in 4,310 theaters (no change); PTA: $3,641; Cumulative: $65,317,000

3. Old (Universal) Week 3; Last weekend: #2

$4,140,000 (-40%) in 3,138 theaters (-241); PTA: $1,319; Cumulative: $38,523,000

4. Black Widow (Disney) Week 5; Last weekend: #4; also on PVOD at Disney+

$4,007,000 (-38%) in 3,100 theaters (-260); PTA: $1,293; Cumulative: $174,359,000

5. Stillwater (Focus) Week 2; Last weekend: #5

$2,860,000 (-45%) in 2,611 theaters (+80); PTA: $1,097; Cumulative: $10,000,000

6. The Green Knight (A24) Week 2; Last weekend: #3

$2,596,000 (-62%) in 2,798 theaters (+8); PTA: $928; Cumulative: $12,168,000

7. Space Jam: A New Legacy (Warner Bros.) Week 4; Last weekend: #6; also on HBO Max

$2,475,000 (-43%) in 2,869 theaters (-632); PTA: $863; Cumulative: $65,646,000

8. Snake Eyes (Paramount) Week 3; Last weekend: #7

$1,625,000 (-60%) in 2,080 theaters (-1,460); PTA: $781; Cumulative: $26,002,000

9. Escape Room: Tournament of Champions (Sony) Week 4; Last weekend: #9

$1,250,000 (-44%) in 1,303 theaters (-783); PTA: $959; Cumulative: $23,040,000

10. F9 (Universal) Week 7; Last weekend: #8; also on PVOD

$1,230,000 (-54%) in 1,715 theaters (-371); PTA: $717; Cumulative: $171,000,000

In 2021, box office revenues are no longer the only way to determine the financial success or failure of a movie. That’s good for a film like The Suicide Squad, which carries a HUGE price tag and doesn’t stand a chance of becoming profitable in its theatrical run.

In the case of The Suicide Squad, as well as Warner Bros. entire 2021 film slate, the studio is banking on boosting HBO Max subscribers in addition to selling movie tickets.

The Suicide Squad)
(The Suicide Squad did not kill at Box Office)

The Suicide Squad received unusually good reviews for a comic-book adaptation, plenty of social media attention, and had little to no competition on a prime summer weekend. Even so, it fell short of its conservative $30 million projection to gross $26,550,000 in 4,002 North American theaters.

The United States is averaging more than 100,000 new Covid-19 cases a day for the first time since February, as the highly contagious delta variant sparks a resurgence. It’s possible that Covid fears coupled with the collective disdain for the previous Suicide Squad film reduced viewership numbers over the weekend. 

With The Suicide Squad as the weekend’s only new wide release, the rest of the top five looked similar to last weekend. The previous session’s box-office #1, Jungle Cruise, was knocked down a peg to second place, where it racked up just under $15.7 million. Disney’s PG-13 adventure starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt dropped 55.2% from last weekend.

Those second-week numbers now bring the movie’s domestic box-office total to $65.3 million, while its $56.5 million in international receipts push its worldwide tally to $121.8 million. While Disney said that Jungle Cruise brought in an additional $30 million in premium VOD rentals on Disney Plus last weekend, they are following the trend they began with Black Widow and have not updated those streaming figures for the film’s second weekend.

Old and Black Widow slipped down the top ten list just one position each to #3 and #4, while Stillwater, starring Matt Damon maintained the #5 spot. 

A24’s The Green Knight, a fantasy-adventure starring Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander and Joel Edgerton dropped to 6th from the #3 spot last week.


REELated: The Suicide Squad: Balls-to-the-wall violence, humor and heart


Warner Bros.’ Space Jam: A New Legacy was knocked down another peg from #6 to #7 and Sony’s Escape Room: Tournament of Champions held on at #9. Universal’s F9 dropped down to #10 after last week’s #8 spot and it seems like the country is almost done with Don and his “family” appearing on the nation’s top ten box office list. 

The Top 10

1. The Suicide Squad (Warner Bros.) NEW – Cinemascore: B+; Metacritic: 74; Est. budget: $185 million; also on HBO Max

$26,550,000 in 4,002 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $6,634; Cumulative: $26,550,000

2. Jungle Cruise (Disney) Week 2; Last weekend: #1; also on PVOD at Disney+

$15,693,000 (-55%) in 4,310 theaters (no change); PTA: $3,641; Cumulative: $65,317,000

3. Old (Universal) Week 3; Last weekend: #2

$4,140,000 (-40%) in 3,138 theaters (-241); PTA: $1,319; Cumulative: $38,523,000

4. Black Widow (Disney) Week 5; Last weekend: #4; also on PVOD at Disney+

$4,007,000 (-38%) in 3,100 theaters (-260); PTA: $1,293; Cumulative: $174,359,000

5. Stillwater (Focus) Week 2; Last weekend: #5

$2,860,000 (-45%) in 2,611 theaters (+80); PTA: $1,097; Cumulative: $10,000,000

6. The Green Knight (A24) Week 2; Last weekend: #3

$2,596,000 (-62%) in 2,798 theaters (+8); PTA: $928; Cumulative: $12,168,000

7. Space Jam: A New Legacy (Warner Bros.) Week 4; Last weekend: #6; also on HBO Max

$2,475,000 (-43%) in 2,869 theaters (-632); PTA: $863; Cumulative: $65,646,000

8. Snake Eyes (Paramount) Week 3; Last weekend: #7

$1,625,000 (-60%) in 2,080 theaters (-1,460); PTA: $781; Cumulative: $26,002,000

9. Escape Room: Tournament of Champions (Sony) Week 4; Last weekend: #9

$1,250,000 (-44%) in 1,303 theaters (-783); PTA: $959; Cumulative: $23,040,000

10. F9 (Universal) Week 7; Last weekend: #8; also on PVOD

$1,230,000 (-54%) in 1,715 theaters (-371); PTA: $717; Cumulative: $171,000,000

In 2021, box office revenues are no longer the only way to determine the financial success or failure of a movie. That’s good for a film like The Suicide Squad, which carries a HUGE price tag and doesn’t stand a chance of becoming profitable in its theatrical run.

In the case of The Suicide Squad, as well as Warner Bros. entire 2021 film slate, the studio is banking on boosting HBO Max subscribers in addition to selling movie tickets.