10 Recent Movies That Didn't Deserve To Fail THIS BAD!
7. The Suicide Squad
Budget: $185 million
Earned: $167 million
In any other year, blockbusters like Jungle Cruise, Black Widow, and Shang Chi would be considered a sure thing at the box-office. But due to the pandemic, these supposed money-makers barely recouped their budget.
Having said that, none of these movies tanked as badly as The Suicide Squad. Although its predecessor didn't do the DC franchise any favours, fans were optimistic with this soft reboot. With the film's R-rating and James Gunn in the hot seat, TSS felt like it was going to be the zany blockbuster that the original should've been.
Sadly, The Suicide Squad failed because... well, take your pick. Due to the simultaneous release on HBO Max, its association with the previous entry, the focus on lesser-known characters, and the not-so bankable stars, it's not surprising it underperformed.
But the main reason why The Suicide Squad failed was the budget. Although there are exceptions, even the best R-rated movies don't do well, simply because the demographic is too narrow. To bring in anything that resembles a profit, mature movies are often made for chump change.
So, when Gunn slapped The Suicide Squad with the biggest budget in R-rated movie history at the time, he doomed the whole project.