‘Suicide Squad’ is on pace to make Warner Bros. proud at the box office

Warner Bros. needs a win for the DC Extended Universe, and it looks like Suicide Squad may deliver a big one. Early projections indicate that the film could set an August record by bringing in between $100 million to $125 million, according to Variety.

We’re still more than three weeks out from the opening of the superhero flick, but pre-release tracking suggests that fans are curious to see a villainous gang tasked with saving the day. The film brings together an ensemble cast full of big names playing familiar comic book characters, including Will Smith as Deadshot, Jared Leto as the Joker, and Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, not to mention an appearance from Ben Affleck as Batman. Together, they could overtake a record set by Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014 when the film opened to $94.32 million, according to Box Office Mojo data.

At this point, however, it is hard to say what the box office picture will actually look like come August. As Variety points out, reviews for the film may ultimately influence whether or not moviegoers show up. Let’s not forget that the most recent DCEU film, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, was predicted to be a box office hit; while its opening was impressive, the film’s box office earnings dropped off sharply in subsequent weeks as fans and critics alike proved to be largely unimpressed.

With Suicide Squad, Warner Bros. is hoping for a much different trajectory than it saw with Batman v Superman. In fact, the studio even reportedly ordered Suicide Squad reshoots to try to avoid a similar fate. If the cinematic universe hopes to compete with Marvel’s, it needs the numbers to back it up.

Suicide Squad, which is written and directed by David Ayer, hits theaters on August 5.