'Birds of Prey': Warner Bros blames coronavirus for film's low opening against $84.5M budget
'Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn' may have had a staggering debut across the world. However, the DC Universe's franchise's box-office numbers have taken a hit in Southeast Asia and WB has pointed fingers at the ongoing deadly coronavirus.
The movie had a production budget of $84.5million and was expected to open to around $50million, but instead raked in just $33.3million in American theatres, reports Daily Mail, While WB has made the statement, the site also reported that 'Birds of Prey' has no China release scheduled. Even the 2016 film, 'Suicide Squad', never released in China.
Forbes, however, saw this coming as it issued a report that China with 70,000+ theatres had shut down screenings to stop the virus spread. The result was a 33% decrease in global box office revenue. Most releases were just halted keeping this in mind.
According to Matthew Belloni of the Hollywood Reporter, there were some numbers that showed the steep decline in box-office numbers. He said: "Last year, the first weekend of Lunar New Year generated $500M at the China box office. This year: $2M, and it's getting worse."
The Margot Robbie starrer was the latest to be hit. The film, however, opened to positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 80% based on 269 reviews, with an average rating of 6.78/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "With a fresh perspective, some new friends, and loads of fast-paced action, Birds of Prey captures the colorfully anarchic spirit of Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn."
Forbes also reported that food chains were impacted due to the virus. Over 200 Starbucks, McDonald's and KFC have been closed as precautionary measures.
'Birds of Prey' is currently running in theatres. It hit cinemas on February 7.