Superman has transformed into a bonafide crowd pleaser at the box office in a much-needed inaugural win for the Warner Bros.-owned DC Studios, which is co-headed by James Gunn — also the film’s director — and producer Peter Safran.
The big-budget tentpole was all but assured of staying atop the domestic box office in its second weekend, but estimates were all over the place as to how it would hold up.
But, buoyed by strong word-of-mouth and reviews, it declined a less-than-expected 54 percent to $57.2 million for a pleasing 10-day domestic tally of $235 million through Sunday. Overseas — where Superman the character has always faced challenges because of its pro-American themes — added an estimated $45.2 million for a internationally tally of $171.8 million and $406.8 globally in a major win for DC and Warners, which has passed up Disney to rank No. 1 in domestic marketshare for the year to date. (The male-skewing movie is facing fierce competition in particular offshore from Universal’s Jurassic World Rebirth and Apple Original Film’s Formula One-action adventure F1: The Movie, which Warners is helping to distribute overseas.
Superman stars David Corenswet in the titular role, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. Rounding out the cast are Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho and Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific.
After years of rival Marvel Studios largely dominating the superhero landscape, DC is smiling. In only its second weekend, Superman has already passed up the entire lifetime run of Marvel’s Thunderbolts*, which topped out at $383 million globally earlier this year. And it’s only days away from overtaking Marvel’s other 2025 entry, Captain America: Brave New World, which earned a meek $415 million worldwide.
Marvel hopes to begin turn its fortunes around when Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters a week from now on July 25. And it means Superman only has a few days left to itself before facing direct competition, in addition to losing Imax screens and other premium-large format screens to Fantastic Four, which is tracking to open to $130 million to $140 million.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Elsewhere at the box office this weekend, holdover Jurassic World Rebirth also remains a powerful competitor as it crossed $600 million globally to finish Sunday with a global tally of $647 million. It is parked safely in second place with an estimated weekend haul of $23.4 million for a domestic total of $276.2 million. (Universal’s live-action How to Train Your Dragon also remains a contender weeks later and is also approaching $600 million worldwide.
Columbia and Screen Gem’s new R-rated offering I know What You Did Last Summer came in third with an estimated $12 to $13 million, in line with modest expectations after failing to wow critics or audiences.
While Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr., Brande and Sarah Michelle Gellar and Brande reprise their roles from the original film and subsequent sequel, the new installment is anchored around a a host of newcomers to the series, including Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers, Sarah Pidgeon and Gabbriette Bechtel.
Set three decades after the 1997 original film of the same name, the storyline — much as the first movie — follows a group of friends who try to cover up an accidental death for which they were responsible. Cut to a year later, when one of them receives a note containing the ominous titular message. Not long after, a killer armed with a metal hook and clad in a fisherman’s slicker and hat begins gruesomely killing them one by one. Soon, they turn to two survivors of the legendary Southport Massacre of 1997, played by Hewitt and Prinze.
Critics haven’t exactly embraced the reboot, which currently has a 33 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences gave the film a C+ CinemaScore, which isn’t unusual for a horror title.
Smurfs is looking at a forth-place finish with an estimated $11 million to $12 million, in line with tepid expectations. The animated family film likewise hasn’t impressed reviewers, but it did earn a B+ CinemaScore. The voice cast features an all-star lineup led by Rihanna in her first turn as a Smurf and followed by Nick Offerman, Natasha Lyonne, Sandra Oh, Alex Winter, Billie Lourd, Maya Erskine, John Goodman, Kurt Russell and Jimmy Kimmel.
Directed by Chris Miller, Smurfs is the first installment in the theatrical franchise in eight years. Thanks to Rihanna in the role of Smurfette, the movie is filled with dance and song. The story follows Smurfette leading a mission to save their leader that takes them into the real world, including Paris, Munich and the Australian Outback, where the Smurfs meet up with small, feathered, Minion-like creatures named Snooterpoots. Their leader is voiced by Natasha Lyonne.
A24’s Eddington opened in sixth-place with $4.3 million, slightly behind expectations despite plenty of buzz and an all-star cast.
More to come.
Source link