‘Elemental’ and ‘Flash’, two of the most anticipated movies of the summer, failed to meet the expectations of both critics and audiences on their opening weekend. Both films fell far short of expectations at the box office, both in the U.S. and worldwide, highlighting the difficulties facing cinema in the streaming era.
‘Elemental’ is the latest Pixar film to hit theaters after several of its previous productions were released directly on the Disney+ platform. The film has received positive reviews from press and audiences. However, this has not translated into commercial success.
For its part, ‘The Flash’ has also failed to dazzle viewers with its proposal of time travel and parallel universes starring Ezra Miller. The film has had a more lukewarm reception from critics, who have given it a 67% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a B on CinemaScore. Audiences have also shown little interest in the film, which grossed $55 million in its first weekend in the U.S. and $72 million worldwide, for a global total of $127 million. This figure is well below the $185 million it cost to make the film and the more than $100 million spent to promote it.
These results call into question the future of film as a business and as a form of entertainment. Studios are facing losses in the millions and growing competition from streaming platforms, which offer more varied and accessible content to viewers. However, it has not all been bad news. This month we have been able to enjoy some good movie premiers like ‘Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse’, ‘Asteroid City’, or ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’
