Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice may have dominated the box office in recent weeks, but the amount of money it is predicted to ultimately bring in puts it far behind other popular superhero films. It's not clear if Batman v Superman will even reach the $1 billion mark, something that Iron Man 3, The Dark Knight Rises and Avengers: Age of Ultron all succeeded in achieving.
It's for that reason, according to a new rumor from the Heroic Insider podcast, that Warner Bros. is considering releasing the uncut R-rated version of the film in theaters later this summer, as a way to increase the amount of profit the studio will make off the film.
Director Zack Snyder previously said that the R-rated version of the film, set for home release, will include nearly 30 minutes of additional footage. Cutscenes involving actress Jena Malone and Green Bay Packers player Ahman Green will make up a portion of the new footage, with Snyder going on to say that the director's cut will include even more Easter eggs for DC comic fans. He's also gone on record to say that changes to the Batman warehouse rescue and fight with Doomsday helped the film earn an R rating.
Considering how there is already a popular fan petition for Warner Bros. to release the R-rated version in theaters, it's not surprising that the studio may be considering the option. It seems like the perfect way to boost the film's profits with little extra effort, and hardcore fans would likely be tempted to double-dip to view the director's cut on the big screen.
Whether or not this will become a reality remains to be seen, but expect to hear word soon as Batman v Superman ticket sales continue to drop off. The film saw a massive 69.1 percent ticket sale drop from its first to second week domestically. While drop-offs like this are common for most films (Avengers: Age of Ultron saw a 59 percent decrease in its second week), Batman v Superman's is unusually high, especially for the film that is supposed to serve as the launching pad for the DC cinematic universe. It's hard to identity exactly what the reason behind the numbers is, but negative reviews (and negative word-of-mouth from fans) likely hasn't helped the film.
