After a lot of anticipation, James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad finally hit theaters last weekend and was met with a positive reception from fans and critics alike. It also scored the best opening for an R-rated movie since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
With $26.5 million earned this past weekend, The Suicide Squad had the biggest R-rated opening since the start of the pandemic. It also earned $4.1 million from Thursday night previews, becoming the top-grossing R-rated pre-sale release since the pandemic began.
The Suicide Squad’s box office numbers may be pretty strong under the circumstances, but it’s still the lowest-performing project in the DC Extended Universe. Several factors come into play, including the rise of the Delta variant, HBO Max’s simultaneous release, the mixed reception of the original movie, and confusion about the timeline of its sequel.
The critics still praised James Gunn’s version as an improvement over its predecessor and applauded its direction, humor, and style. Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, and Jai Courtney were amongst the stars returning for the sequel, alongside newcomers Idris Elba, John Cena, and Sylvester Stallone.
