Margot Robbie’s new film Birds of Prey was set to skyrocket at the box office, however, its lukewarm reception has been linked to the recent China coronavirus outbreak.
The movie, which is a sequel to from the 2016 blockbuster film Suicide Squad, hit the big screen last week, and while it sat at the top of the box office chart, it still didn’t bring in as much cash as expected.
Warner Bros have since come up with their own theory behind the woeful box office takings and blamed the deadly bug for the failure of the film.
The flick had a budget of $84.5million, and was predicted to open to around $50million, but instead brought in just $33.3million in American theatres.
Birds of Prey has faltered at the box office despite positive reviews (Image: Warner Bros Pictures)
With Chinese cinemas currently on lockdown, it was has been reported the film giant claimed the flu outbreak “impacted box office takings in Asia”.
And there’s no chance the film will ever be shown in the country as there’s no currently Chinese release date scheduled for Birds of Prey, and first film Suicide Squad never opened there.
It has been reported by Business Insider that the film’s R-rating hasn’t helped the film’s cause.
Margot Robbie plays lead character Harley Quinn in the flick (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
They believed the age rating meant young fans were snubbed, and didn’t have a chance to follow popular character Harley Quinn.
“With the R rating, director Cathy Yan wasn’t limited in the violence or salty language she could portray, but the movie missed out on the teen market,” the website wrote.
Despite the box office backlash, the film has garnered positive reviews from critics and fans alike.
Birds of Prey follows main character Harley Quinn who goes on a solo crusade after her explosive breakup with the Joker.
Unprotected and on the run, Quinn faces the wrath of narcissistic crime boss Black Mask, his right-hand man, Victor Zsasz, and other thugs in the city.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
