Box Office: 'The Suicide Squad' Underwhelms With $26.5 Million Debutut

'The Suicide Squad,' the R-rated comic book adaptation directed by James Gunn, underwhelmed in its box office debut, collecting $26.5 million from 4,002 North American theaters. 

Los Angeles : 'The Suicide Squad,' the R-rated comic book adaptation directed by James Gunn, underwhelmed in its box office debut, collecting $26.5 million from 4,002 North American theaters.  Those ticket sales were easily enough to lead domestic box office charts despite falling short of expectations heading into the weekend. There were several factors contributing to its less-than-stellar start, including but not limited to growing concern over the Delta variant of COVID-19, the Warner Bros. film's hybrid release on HBO Max at no extra charge to subscribers, and its R-rating. An opening weekend below $30 million isn't surprising, given the ongoing pandemic, but it's disappointing because 'The Suicide Squad' cost $185 million to produce and many millions more to promote globally.  At the international box office, 'The Suicide Squad' added another $35 million from 70 overseas territories, bringing its global tally to $72.2 million.