The new DC superhero film debuted in theaters on June 16 and could end up costing Warner Bros. “The Flash” had a dramatic drop in its second week at the box office with $15.2 million for the big-budget offering.

The second-week output for the film, which stars Ezra Miller, fell off by 72% after opening with a subpar $55 million. …

On the other hand, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” went back to the top of the box office with its fourth week in theaters. This helped the Sony film reach $317.1 million domestically and an impressive $560.3 million worldwide.

The animated sequel also beat out “Elemental,” which took second place for the second week in a row with an estimated $18.5 million.

(via Off the Press)

[Miller is drenched in scandal and in LGBTQ+ virtue signaling, two issues that may have movie watchers choosing other films this summer. “Elemental” apparently suffers from the same virtue-signaling issues, but the biggest problem for both films may just be story telling. We’ve had hundreds of comic-book films over the last four decades, and the formula may be finally wearing out. “Elemental” sounds even more clichéd and less dramatic than an average comic-book flick. If you don’t tell new and compelling stories, audiences will make you pay for it — even if the dreck on the screen helps your DEI/ESG score.

The headline is a jokey reference to Queen’s theme song for the 1980 film “Flash Gordon,” a cheesy but fun film that would probably get five times what “Flash” will end up making if it came out today. The Queen soundtrack was the best thing about it. Aside from Brian Blessed, that is. — Ed]