Warner Bros. reportedly needs Justice League to gross $600 million worldwide to break even. The latest installment in the DC movie universe is here, and Justice League is now trying to live up to the high expectations. The movie marks the first time the League has formed on the big screen and brings back the likes of Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Ben Affleck (Batman), and yes, Henry Cavill (Superman). The DC veterans are joined by Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Ezra Miller (Flash), and Ray Fisher (Cyborg) as they attempt to stop the return of Steppenwolf to Earth.

Not only are expectations riding high when it comes to fans finally seeing the team assembled for the first time, but there is also plenty of pressure of Justice League to deliver financially. Previous reports noted Warner Bros. is waiting to see the reaction to the movie before moving forward with several other films in this universe, and the critical response so far has not faired too well. The mixed reception could hurt the film's box office run, and we now know how much it needs to break even.

Variety revealed Justice League holds a budget well over $250 million following the additional photography done by Joss Whedon. The large budget and big marketing campaign in turn puts the pressure on Justice League to make $600 million in ticket sales to break even according to this report. This does not mean that Justice League needs to gross $600M at the box office to break even however, as studios only get a percentage of ticket sales - typically around 55% domestically and even less internationally.

The current projections for Justice League have it earning over $300M worldwide this weekend, so it is well on its way to making a decent amount of money. Star Wars: The Last Jedi came under fire recently when it demanded a very high percentage of ticket sales, but Justice League isn't using that strategy to bolster its box office. Instead, it may need to make over $1 billion to just break even, a lofty bar for any film to hit.

Warner Bros. is surely hoping Justice League will be a box office powerhouse, but how plausible that is may have to wait to be determined until the end of the opening weekend. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the current DC box office champ at over $870M, and still wound up turning a profit for the studio. But, with a $600M break even point on Justice League, it will need the staying power at the box office to be the success everybody expected.

NEXT - Justice League Will Open Smaller Than Thor: Ragnarok

Source: Variety

Key Release Dates