Birds of Prey Estimated Opening Weekend Is Lower Than Green Lantern’s

Estimated opening weekend numbers for Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) are coming in lower than 2011’s Green Lantern, the DC Comics-inspired superhero movie that opened with $53 million before failing to take flight with just $219 million worldwide. Starring Ryan Reynolds as the titular ring-wearing superhero, Green Lantern carried a reported $200 million price tag and ultimately lost studio Warner Bros. at least $75 million, according to box office flop trackers Bomb Report. The estimated $34 million opening weekend for Birds of Prey is the lowest start for a DC film since 2010’s Josh Brolin and Megan Fox-starring Jonah Hex, which lassoed just $10.9 million globally.

A $34 million opening would fail to put Birds of Prey in the top 50 superhero movie opening weekends, where Green Lantern is ranked #48, just ahead of DC’s own Superman Returns ($52.5m OW, $391.1m WW) and Batman Begins ($48.7m OW, $374.2m WW).

In terms of DC Extended Universe openings, Birds of Prey trails Shazam! ($53.5m), Aquaman ($67.8m), Justice League ($93.8m), Wonder Woman ($103.2m), Man of Steel ($116.6m), Suicide Squad ($133.6m), and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ($166m).

That opening figure will make it difficult for Birds of Prey to pass $100 million domestically. For Green Lantern, 53% of its box office was scored domestically, where it earned $116 million.

Unlike Green Lantern — lambasted by both critics and audiences, receiving a 26% “rotten” Tomatometer and a 45% audience score — the Cathy Yan-directed Birds of Prey is certified fresh at 81% and currently has an 84% audience score from 2,500 verified moviegoers. On CinemaScore, where exiting moviegoers are polled opening night, Birds of Prey earned a B+, topping Green Lantern‘s B.

Birds of Prey follows Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), freshly separated from the Joker (played by Jared Leto in Suicide Squad), who collides with Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) when Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor), a.k.a. the sociopathic Black Mask, puts a hit out on the street-smart Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco).

In interviews with ComicBook.com, the film’s stars expressed wishes other famed female DC Comics characters — including Batman ally Oracle, a.k.a. Barbara Gordon, and villain Poison Ivy — could appear in a hoped for Birds of Prey sequel.

Robbie next reprises her role in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, out August 6, 2021.

You ever hear the one about the cop, the songbird, the psycho and the mafia princess? Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is a twisted tale told by Harley herself, as only Harley can tell it. When Gotham’s most nefariously narcissistic villain, Roman Sionis, and his zealous right-hand, Zsasz, put a target on a young girl named Cass, the city is turned upside down looking for her. Harley, Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya’s paths collide, and the unlikely foursome have no choice but to team up to take Roman down.