Box Office Preview: ‘Suicide Squad’ On Track For $140M-Plus Debut

Despite dismal reviews, Warner Bros.’ Suicide Squad is headed for a massive box office debut – on track to reach over $140 million or more domestically from 4,255 locations.

Directed by David Ayer, the supervillain film is said to become the top August domestic opening of all time, surpassing Marvel/Disney’s Guardians of the Galaxy ($94.3 million in 2014). It has already raked in $20.5 million in Thursday night screenings in North America, ranking as the third-largest preview total for a DC movie after 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises ($30.6 million) and March’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ($27.7 million).

Many critics have given Squad a low 26 percent “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes, prompting many fans to create an online petition as noted by Variety, accusing the site of giving “unjust bad reviews.”

Jared Leto: Joker Sent Rats, Bullets, and Cupcakes

Suicide Squad follows a group of dangerous Super Villains — played by Will Smith (Deadshot), Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn), Jai Courtney (Captain Boomerang), Jay Hernandez (El Diablo) and Cara Delevingne (Enchantress) — who are recruited to fight off a deadly threat. Jared Leto stars as The Joker, with Joel Kinnaman and Viola Davis also starring in the film.

The weekend’s other wide new release includes EuropaCorp’s Nine Lives, directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. The family-friendly film stars Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey as a neglectful dad turned into a cat. Jennifer Garner also stars.