Box Office Disappointments: 'The Flash' and 'Elemental' Struggle in Summer Debut

The disappointing box office performance of "The Flash" and "Elemental" highlights the corrosive effect of streaming on the theatrical business. The lack of transparency about streaming revenue has become a major sticking point in contract negotiations, and the push toward streaming in 2019 and the pandemic have shifted consumer habits. Pixar, which saw Disney move films directly to streaming during the pandemic, and DC, with a string of box-office disappointments, have been hit hard. The lack of hard and fast rules about what might work makes it difficult to predict the future of the movie business.