A Huge Dwayne Johnson Flop Is Getting A Second Life On Netflix
One of Dwayne Johnson's most notorious flops is getting a second life on Netflix. A celebrated wrestler and actor, Johnson is one of the world's most popular A-listers, but even he's not immune to financial and critical misfires. After duking it out with the Fast Fam in the "Fast & Furious" franchise, the action junkie moved to the world of DC, debuting "Black Adam" in 2022. Upon its release, "Black Adam" smashed Johnson's previous box-office record for an opening weekend. Ultimately, though, the flick was a flop, but it's getting a boost from Netflix viewers. According to the streaming giant's viewership data, "Black Adam" is the tenth most-watched film globally for the week of March 18-24 2024.
Netflix says that Johnson's superhero flick has accrued 5 million hours viewed as of this writing. It makes sense that "Black Adam" is getting a second life on Netflix, considering it's a big-budget, family-friendly blockbuster featuring one of the most recognizable faces in the industry. Beyond that, it's part of the DC Extended Universe batch of films, making it ideal viewing for completist fans who skipped the film during its theatrical window.
Johnson is no doubt thrilled to hear the film is climbing Netflix's charts as it was his passion project for over a decade. Despite making close to $400 million, "Black Adam" was still a box office bomb and is a sore spot in Johnson's filmography.
Black Adam is a disappointment for Dwayne Johnson
The conversation surrounding the DC flick and its failure has been nothing short of exhausting, with Dwayne Johnson candidly revealing why "Black Adam" fizzled at the box office. While it had a solid opening, the film had a reported budget north of $190 million, which means it needed to make a considerable chunk of change to be viable for Warner Bros. Previous reports have suggested that "Black Adam" needed around $600 million to break even. With a box-office haul shy of $400 million, the picture is estimated to have lost anywhere between $50 to $100 million. Ouch.
Beyond mediocre financial receipts, "Black Adam" was ridiculed by critics upon release. It has a disheartening 38% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it a major lowlight for Johnson. Looper critic Dominic Griffin was a bit more forgiving in his 6/10 review, praising it for being at least mildly entertaining and swiftly paced. With the DC Universe rebooting under James Gunn, Johnson's hopeful era of leading the franchise is over, with a "Black Adam" sequel now scrapped at Warner Bros.
Despite its flaws, "Black Adam" is still worth investigating as it features the cinematic debut of the Justice Society and some killer action sequences that show off Johnson's impeccable physicality. There's also a pretty hilarious cameo from Henry Winkler that's worth the price of admission (or Netflix subscription) alone.