It was a disappointing weekend for two new movies that were supposed to make a splash—The Flash and Elemental brought in just $55 million and $29.5 million, respectively, in their openings. Both big-budget films fell short of an already-low bar, missing even their modest expectations for what could be two unfortunate theatrical runs. Some analysts believe that The Flash was particularly hurt by star Ezra Miller’s legal issues and recent assault allegations, preventing the movie from getting the promotional push most superhero films of that caliber tend to enjoy. Meanwhile, despite positive reviews from moviegoers, Elemental was Pixar’s worst start in modern history. It’s not close, either—Elemental ranked far below two of the studio’s prior bad efforts including The Good Dinosaur and Onward, both of which grossed $39 million in their openings.
