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The realm of superhero cinema welcomes a thrilling addition to the DC Universe withBlue Beetle, directed byAngel Manuel Soto. StarringXolo Maridueña,Blue Beetleintroduces audiences to Jaime Reyes, the first son of a humble Latino family whose life takes an unexpected turn when an alien object known as the Scarab grants him newfound abilities. As he grapples with his newfound powers, Jaime finds himself navigating the intricate web of responsibilities, all while prioritizing his family above all else.
Behind the scenes,Blue Beetleis a remarkable achievement in its Latino representation and its ability to work with a limited budget. The film promises to deliver a memorable experience while being creative about its resources. Check out the budget breakdown forBlue Beetleand how they’re doing at the box office.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated on October 16.
Blue Beetle
An alien scarab chooses Jaime Reyes to be its symbiotic host, bestowing the recent college graduate with a suit of armor that’s capable of extraordinary powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the superhero known as Blue Beetle.
Budget for ‘Blue Beetle’ By Department
Blue Beetleserves as a homage to the Latino community, which means that it was essential for the movie tochampion Mexican and Mexican-American actors. Taking on the lead role as Jaime Reyes, a.k.a. Blue Beetle, isXolo Maridueña, who audiences may have also seen from Netflix’sCobra Kai.
According toTHR, paying for superhero movie lead roles typically hinges on the actors' experience. In the last ten years, first-time superhero leads have consistently received salaries in the mid-six-figure range. Likewise, directors venturing into the Marvel or DC universe for the first time to helm a superhero film can also anticipate earning a similar mid-six-figure salary.
That doesn’t include the salaries for supporting cast members, who are big names in the Mexican and Mexican-American film industries.Damián Alcázar, portraying the role of Jaime’s father, Alberto Reyes, consistently garners the Ariel Award bestowed by the Mexican Academy of Film Arts and Sciences (AMACC) in Mexico, with five wins and eight nominations under his belt.George Lopez, who plays Uncle Rudy Reyes, has been a staple in Hollywood thanks to his NBC sitcomThe George Lopez Show.
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Movie Effects
While the exact budget details aren’t available to the public (yet), Director Soto did let slip how they had to get creative when handling the action scenes due to budget constraints. In its original plan,Blue Beetlewas destined for a Max debut, a choice that entailed a lesser budget compared to the substantial funds typically allocated for a theatrical release. As a result, Soto had to ditch pricey special effects for more practical ones. While this decision may prove to be a challenge, Sotoshares how the team we’re able to get creative with their effects:
“[W]e were able to be smart about how we handled our budget. That’s why we went practical, and that’s why we went to real locations. And oddly enough, that also makes it feel bigger and more immersed because even the third act takes place in a real fortress that’s 500 years old in Puerto Rico. That’s not like a green screen set, you know? So, being able to do that and see the magnificence of this building, how imposing it is, and being able to capture that and have fun with this adventure in it, it was a way for us to be able to stretch our budget in a way that kind of delivers on it, I guess.”
Filming Locations
Blue Beetletakes place in the metropolis of Palmera City, a fictional coastal city that bears a resemblance to the sun-soaked shores of Miami, yet features a sci-fi central business district and downtown area that oozes the vibes of both New York and Los Angeles. A good chunk of the main filming went down at Wilder Studios in Decatur, Georgia. They also captured scenes in the actual locales of El Paso, Texas, Los Angeles, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The cherry on top is the standout location for the third act ofBlue Beetle. The team chose none other than the Castillo San Felipe del Morro, an ancient Spanish fortress nestled in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. This 500-year-old marvel was considered a World Heritage Site in 1983, recognized by the United Nations alongside the San Juan National Historic Site. Given the fortress’s historical significance and its role as a cultural gem, not to mention its popularity among tourists, shutting down the site for filming probably didn’t come without a considerable price tag.
The Costs of Promoting ‘Blue Beetle’
Currently, precise information regarding the marketing strategy forBlue Beetleremains undisclosed to the public. However, it seems that any promotional efforts involving actors might behindered by the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, which is caused by Hollywood’s biggest studios failing to reach an agreement with the guild’s fair demands. Throughout the strike, actors are precluded from participating in press junkets or discussing forthcoming releases during interviews or on social media. But loyal fans have taken it into their own hands to promote the movie. Under the hashtag #BlueBeetleBattalion on Twitter, promotion for the film has been continuous thanks to organic support.
In addition to its grassroots backing,Blue Beetlehaspartnered with Toyota for its promotional endeavors. The prominent inclusion of the Toyota Tacoma in the film portrays a collaboration with the unyielding superhero Blue Beetle. The movie seamlessly integrates the trusty strength of the Tacoma, with the vehicle being a critical element in most of their battles.
How Much Did ‘Blue Beetle’ Need to Make at the Box Office to Break Even?
The production budget forBlue Beetleamounted to a modest $104 million. In the usual scenario, a film must generate double its production budget to achieve a break-even point. By applying this principle toBlue Beetle, the film would require global earnings of around $208 million to recover its costs and break even. ForBlue Beetleto be deemed a success, it would need to finish its run around $300 million.
How is ‘Blue Beetle’ Doing at the Box Office?
Blue Beetleachieved$26 million during its opening weekend release, following a $10 million revenue on Friday. This outcome places the film slightly ahead of its initial weekend prediction, which hovered around $25 million. The film also earned an additional $18 million from 64 international territories, totaling the film’s global debut to a humble $43 million. Currently, the movie lags behind bothBirds of PreyandShazam! Fury of the Gods. These two films are widely recognized for falling short of expectations regarding their box-office revenue. As it stands,Blue Beetlehad the second-lowest opening for a DCEU film, withWonder Woman 1984having a lower opening (a film that was released during the height of the pandemic.)
The film made $128.6 million worldwide, but that’s still insufficient to cover its light budget and marketing campaign. Again, the film needed roughly $208 million to break even, meaning thatBlue Beetlewould be another DC film to lose money. As it stands,Blue Beetleis the lowest-grossing film in the DCEU. With just one film remaining (Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom), the franchise seems to be dying out after a 10-year run.
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Comparisons to ‘Blue Beetle’
Despite what some might perceive as a slightly underwhelming opening figure,Blue Beetledebuted at the number one position,dethroningBarbiefrom its month-long reignatop the domestic box office. The film is trying to keep pace with theDenzel Washingtonvehicle,The Equalizer, the sports biopic,Gran Turismo, and the never-failing behemoth, Barbenheimer.
