After two weeks of reigning over the box office, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is looking to roll the dice on a third weekend of dominance. However, there are some estimates that not only suggest that this isn't going to happen, but that it's going to be Melissa McCarthy's The Boss that ends the film's hot streak.
Variety has done some number crunching for this weekend's box office, and it looks like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is estimated to have at least a 50% drop this weekend. This would put the Zack Snyder film on track for a rough $26 million finish this weekend, which is extremely close to the estimated $21 million that The Boss is being penciled in for. With the DC Comics film placed within striking distance of the Melissa McCarthy comedy, there's one film that might draw action oriented audiences away from the clash of the comic heroes, delivering the win to the competition: Hardcore Henry.
With an estimated $8 million slated to fall into the lap of the first person action/adventure film, Hardcore Henry could take a bite out of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice's diminishing returns, sinking the film further down the box office totem pole. Even assuming that half of the estimated audience for this weekend's contender overlaps with the repeat business audience for the Warner Bros blockbuster, that $4 million of competing business would put Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice square within the margin of dominance that could see The Boss overtake it this weekend. But should Hardcore Henry live up to its name, it could push the film further down the ladder, erasing the thin margin of victory that is assumed in the best case scenario.
Obviously this isn't completely terrible news, as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has broken records left and right, with about $700 million to show for it thus far. However, looking at the domestic segment of the film's release, we see that over the course of 11 days of release, only $263.6 million have been made domestically. For comparison, Iron Man 3 made $289.6 million in the same time frame, and is ranked as the third highest grossing Marvel film. So while Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice might be an assumed success based on its production budget, and a healthy margin of advertising costs, it shows that DC Comics still has some work to do in order to compete with Marvel.
This weekend's box office market is pretty much up for grabs, and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has some stiff competition to defeat in order to stay on the top of the charts. While the film has certainly had a great run at the worldwide box office, it looks like the gravy train may have officially run out of steam. Still, considering how far the DC Comics Universe has come at the movies, progress is still being made. While The Boss and Hardcore Henry may do a number on Warner Bros' big ticket picture, their success is undeniable.
