In Suicide Squad, the big-budget film that Warner Brothers is set to release on Aug. 5, a motley crew of villains with superpowers are released from prison and sent on a mission to save the world. The film might also end up breathing some cinematic life into DC Entertainment, the venerable comic book company that hasn't generated a supersized hit for parent company Time Warner (TWX) in years.
Unlike Walt Disney's (DIS) Marvel unit, which has regularly produced monster hits such as Iron Man for its parent company, films based on DC characters of late have suffered from bloated budgets and underwhelming box office performances. The most recent, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, cost $250 million to make and more than $100 million to market and was considered a disappointment even though it generated $872.7 million in worldwide sales, according to Box Office Mojo.
Disney's Captain America: Civil War has grossed nearly $1.2 billion in worldwide sales after its May 6 release. (Studios generally collect about half the revenue generated by domestic ticket sales and as little as 25% in some major markets such as China.)
"It goes back to Superman and Green Lantern," Drexel Hamilton analyst Tony Wible said, referring to the 2013 film Man of Steel that generated $668 million in worldwide sales and the Ryan Reynolds 2011 Green Lantern that sold a woeful $220 million in tickets. "They've done some damage to the asset, unlike Marvel, which has become one of Disney's premiere assets."
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