In this day and age, it almost feels like a complete disservice and body shock when moviegoers learn that a superhero movie turned out to be a massive dud. Following in the same vein as Black Adam, Shazam! Fury of the Gods severely underwhelmed in a way that is almost embarrassing. And while the superhero movie being regarded as a box office failure seems pathetic all on its own, horror flick Evil Dead Rise grossing more money in comparison feels like the final nail in the coffin.
To put things into perspective, Shazam 2 grossed $133 million while Evil Dead Rise haunted its way to over $140 million, despite Fury of the Gods being released in theaters an entire month before the horror franchise’s fifth installment. In doing so, the supernatural horror has solidified its status as Warner Bros.’ highest grossing movie of 2023 — which is certainly no easy feat. But being beaten out by a film that cost $100 million less to make surely speaks volumes.
With that being said, the horror project’s divine success is all the proof Warner Bros. should need to keep investing in horror. After all, it’s hard to discount the rapid triumph of the genre as a whole — seeing as multiple movies as of late have attracted positive Rotten Tomatoes scores. And yet, with the updated Salem’s Lot reboot seemingly being wiped from the release list at Warner Bros., perhaps dumping all of its cash into the horror catalog isn’t the correct move. In reality, we all know it should happen.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods will be available to stream on HBO Max tomorrow (May 23) while Evil Dead Rise is still playing in select theaters.