Amidst harsh words from critics Warner Bros.’ Suicide Squad crushed the box office numbers with a $135.1 million weekend draw in the US. Internationally, the film drew $132 million, adding up to over $267 million for its debut. The film was produced on an estimated $175 million budget.
Suicide Squad far surpassed Guardians of the Galaxy that made $94.3 million in the first weekend, but didn’t quite make as much as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’s opening in March 2016 that made $166 million.
“The marketing campaign was brilliant,” said Warner Bros. Distribution Executive Vice President, Jeff Goldstein. He added, “It bested anything that we could have expected.”
The film’s early reviews didn’t seem to have an effect on those who wanted to see the film.
NY Times critic A. O. Scott says Suicide Squad “Trips over its own feet,” while Rolling Stone’s Peter Travers said “The walking dead aren’t the only clichés that eat away at the potential in this material.”
Suicide Squad released to 4,255 locations, including IMAX 381 theaters where the film grossed $11 million.
