LOS ANGELES, CA – The highly anticipated movie, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, debuted in theaters with a night of mixed results at the box office. Warner Bros’ Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom grossed $4.5M at 3,400 locations, while Illumination/Universal’s Migration brought in $1.5M on a slow weekend at the 4-day Christmas box office. The lack of a major blockbuster in the market is being attributed to the sluggish start to the holiday box office. The movie received poor reviews at 36% on Rotten Tomatoes, with a projected $40M plus-or-minus over four-days.

Previews for Aquaman 2 began at 3PM, while Migration started at 2PM. The sequel’s previews are lower than Disney/Marvel Studios’ The Marvels, which made $6.6M before a 3-day total of $46.1M, marking the lowest start ever for a Marvel movie. However, Aquaman 2’s previews are higher than that of DC’s earlier film, Shazam: Fury of the Gods.

Despite its sluggish start, Aquaman 2 is a bigger marquee draw than other movies in the market. Warner Bros is also competing with itself, as Wonka, another Warner Bros film, made $4.2M on its first night, almost equal to Aquaman 2.

General audiences in Comscore/Screen Engine PostTrak exits did not favor Aquaman 2, giving it 3 stars last night and a 50% recommend. However, parents and children under 12 gave it higher ratings.

While business for all movies is expected to improve significantly on Christmas Day, the sequel is not expected to have the same impact as its predecessor, which had a slow start back in 2018.

In addition to Aquaman 2, other movies in the market also have mixed results. Columbia Pictures’ Anyone But You and A24’s The Iron Claw both posted mixed numbers during their previews, with varied expectations over the 4-day holiday weekend.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom debuted with a mix of high expectations and mixed results. While the box office numbers may not reflect an overwhelming success, the movie’s true impact may still unfold during the holiday season. Further insights into audience reception and long-term box office success will become clearer in the coming days.