NEW YORK (AP) — In a bid to kickoff a brand new period for DC Studios, James Gunn’s “Superman” opened with $122 million in U.S. and Canada ticket gross sales over the weekend, in accordance with studio estimates Sunday.
DC and Warner Bros. had lots using on “Superman.” Whereas the Walt Disney Co.’s Marvel Studios has had its personal share of struggles, the superheroes of DC have lately discovered principally kryptonite in theaters. Movies like “Joker: Folie à Deux,” “The Flash” and “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” all flopped.
However “Superman,” written and directed by Gunn, is meant as a brand new begin. It’s the primary launch absolutely steered by Gunn and Peter Safran, co-heads of DC Studios, since they had been handed the keys to DC’s superhero cinematic universe.
And whereas Gunn turned “Guardians of the Galaxy” into an enormous success for Marvel, his irreverent, idiosyncratic contact made the director — as soon as a B-movie filmmaker with Troma Leisure — an unlikely steward for one of many films’ most bankable and beloved manufacturers.
The roughly on-target opening was the third largest of 2025, and the primary DC title to surpass $100 million in its opening weekend since “Wonder Woman” in 2017. Warner Bros. might additionally rejoice a novel sizzling streak: “Superman” is their fifth film in a row to open over $45 million.
“It’s quite a win for DC Studios,” stated Jeffrey Goldstein, chief of distribution for Warner Bros. “We needed to get the trust of the fanbase, and we didn’t have it. They were clear to us that we needed to take a step back and reinvent ourselves.”
Ticket gross sales had been comparatively delicate for “Superman” abroad. In 78 worldwide markets, it grossed $95 million. In China, it collected simply $6.6 million.
David A. Gross, who runs the film consulting agency FranchiseRe, known as the worldwide efficiency the one ding towards the in any other case robust “Superman” debut.
“Thus far, the foreign openings are not equal to domestic,” said Gross. “Superman has always been identified as a quintessentially American character and story, and in some parts of the world, America is currently not enjoying its greatest popularity.”
As an American icon, “Superman” additionally attracted political discourse at dwelling. Some right-wing commentators criticized the film as “woke” after Gunn described the superhero from Krypton as “an immigrant.” On X, the White Home posted a picture of President Donald Trump as Superman.
In “Superman,” which value about $225 million to make, Gunn steers the Man of Metal in a drastically totally different tonal route than in earlier iterations from filmmaker Zack Snyder. Skipping the Kansas origin story, the movie as a substitute picks up with Superman ( David Corenswet ) after his first defeat. Rachel Brosnahan performs Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult is Lex Luthor.
The “Superman” debut didn’t come near besting the $166 million launch for Snyder’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” in 2016. But it surely did open greater, not accounting for inflation, than Snyder’s “Man of Steel.” That movie debuted with $116 million in 2013.
However whereas Snyder’s movies had been typically unloved by critics, largely good opinions greeted Gunn’s “Superman.” On Rotten Tomatoes, it scored 82% recent — one of the best for the franchise because the first two films with Christopher Reeve: “Superman” (1978) and “Superman II” (1980). Audiences gave it an “A-” CinemaScore.
“Superman” confronted sizeable competitors too. Final week’s prime movie, “Jurassic World Rebirth,” slid to second place with $40 million. With “Superman” absorbing many large-format screens, Common Footage’ seventh “Jurassic” movie slipped a steep 57% from its opening weekend. Starring Scarlett Johansson, “Jurassic World Rebirth” received off to a thunderous $318.3 million international begin. In two weeks, it’s amassed $529.5 million worldwide.
Additionally nonetheless within the combine is Apple Studios’ largest box-office success but, “F1.” Joseph Kosinski’s Method One motion thriller, starring Brad Pitt, got here in third with $13 million in its third weekend. The movie, distributed by Warner Bros., has collected $393.4 million globally in three weeks. But it surely additionally carries a hefty price ticket of roughly $250 million, plus at the least $100 million in promotion.
High 10 films by home field workplace
With closing home figures being launched Monday, this listing components within the estimated ticket gross sales for Friday by means of Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, in accordance with Comscore:
1. “Superman,” $122 million.
2. “Jurassic World Rebirth,” $40 million.
3. “F1: The Movie,” $13 million.
4. “How to Train Your Dragon,” $7.8 million.
5. “Elio,” $3.9 million.
6. “28 Years Later,” $2.7 million.
7. “Lilo & Stitch,” $2.7 million.
8. “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” $1.5 million.
9. “M3gan 2.0,” $1.4 million.
10. “Materialists,” $720,498.
