Birds of Prey, the DC Comics' Harley Quinn spin-off, made a tepid debut in US cinemas over the weekend, opening in No. 1 but below expectations with $49.5 million, according to studio estimates.
The less-than-expected opening has reportedly led to a hasty name change for the film: Originally titled Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), the film is now going by Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey, an unprecedented last-minute change for a film already in cinemas.
Despite the fact Margot Robbie is one of Hollywood's most talked-about stars right now – on Monday she fronted up to the Oscars, where she was nominated for her second Academy Award – the film came in for a rocky landing. It had been expected to open around $75 million. It fared similarly overseas, grossing an estimated $71 million from 78 international markets.
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Warner Bros. said the coronavirus impacted sales in Asia, though in South Korea, where Birds of Prey made $2.8 million, it came in second to a local release. Birds of Prey doesn't have a China release scheduled, and Suicide Squad never opened there. Cinemas in the country, the world's second largest movie market, have shut down amid the coronavirus outbreak.
