Warner Bros./DC Studios’ “Superman” didn’t earn the studio’s biggest opening of the year, but it’s still getting a new era of DC superhero movies off on the right foot with a $217 million global launch, including a $122 million gross.
The domestic debut is right in the middle of a wide range of projections from industry analysts, rival studios, and independent trackers, which have begun ranging from $115 million to $135 million. It’s also between the $118 million opening of director James Gunn’s latest film, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” and the $133 million opening of the last blockbuster, “The Batman.”
Reception for “Superman” has also been largely positive, earning Rotten Tomatoes scores of 82% and 94%, along with an 86% positive score on Post-Trans and an A- on CinemaScore. The CinemaScore Grade matches Zack Snyder’s 2013 Superman film, “Man of Steel,” which opened to $128 million.
With this reception, “Superman” is holding strong with domestic audiences, even with Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” arriving in two weeks. That film is building a somewhat similar social media buzz to “Barbenheimer” with superhero fans excited about both films, so it’s possible a portion of them may return for repeat viewings of “Superman” when they show up to see “Fantastic Four.”
The only disappointing aspect of the film’s weekend was its overseas performance, where it earned $95 million from 78 markets. The lower international opening compared to the U.S. is likely attributed to stiff competition from Universal’s “Jurassic World: Rebirth,” which earned $68 million overseas and $40 million domestically in its second weekend, bringing its global total to $529 million.
With dinosaurs proving to be a more potent draw for non-American moviegoers than the Man of Steel, “Superman” could find its potential global box office total reduced, even if it becomes the third film this year to clear $300 million in domestic grosses.
More to come…
