Supergirl Opens Below Expectations
Supergirl has failed to make a strong start at the North American box office. The Warner Bros. and DC Studios film opened with $38 million from 3,600 theaters. Its global debut reached $68 million.
The opening is being seen as disappointing for a major superhero film. Before the weekend, the film was expected to earn between $50 million and $55 million domestically. Even that target was considered modest for a big-budget comic book movie.
The weak start has raised concerns for the studio. Supergirl carries a reported production budget of $170 million. This amount does not include its large marketing cost.
A film of this size usually needs strong worldwide earnings to become profitable. Industry estimates suggest it may need at least $375 million globally to break even. However, a source close to the film said its breakeven point may be closer to $300 million.
The film also faces tough competition during the busy summer movie season. Its mixed response from critics and audiences may further affect its theatrical run.
Mixed Reviews Add Pressure on DC Studios
Supergirl currently holds a 56% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Audience response has also been mixed, with the film receiving a B- CinemaScore.
Initial crowds were mostly male, with men making up 59% of ticket buyers. This shows that the film mostly attracted core superhero fans. It did not strongly expand beyond that audience.
The film stars Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, also known as Supergirl. The story follows her journey across the cosmos with her dog, Krypto the Superdog. During the journey, she meets an alien girl named Ruthye and joins her on a mission for vengeance and justice.
The movie was directed by Craig Gillespie, known for I, Tonya and Cruella. The script was written by Ana Nogueira, who is known for The Vampire Diaries.
The film arrives one year after Superman, which rebooted the DC Universe under James Gunn and Peter Safran. That film opened with $125 million and finished with $618 million worldwide.
By comparison, Supergirl has started much slower. The result may force Warner Bros. and DC Studios to rethink how they handle lesser-known DC characters on the big screen.
The next DC film is Clayface, scheduled for October. It has a much smaller reported budget of $40 million. After that, Superman: Man of Tomorrow is planned for 2027, bringing back David Corenswet as Superman and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.
Toy Story 5 Holds No. 1 Spot
While Supergirl struggled, Toy Story 5 continued its box office dominance. The Disney and Pixar sequel remained at No. 1 with $70 million in its second weekend.
That marks a normal 55% drop from its huge $160 million debut. The film has already earned $297 million domestically and $585 million worldwide after only 12 days in theaters.
The animated sequel is now on track to become one of the biggest films of the year. It may also become the highest-grossing entry in the Toy Story franchise. The current record belongs to Toy Story 4, which earned $1.07 billion globally.
This weekend’s other new release, Jackass: Best and Last, also struggled. The comedy sequel opened with $8.4 million from 2,855 venues. Its global debut reached $10.3 million.
However, the film cost only $10 million to produce. This means it does not need a massive box office run to become profitable.
Obsession also remained strong in its seventh weekend. The low-budget horror hit earned $9.8 million and has now collected $233.9 million domestically and $370 million worldwide.
Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day rounded out the top five with $8.1 million. The sci-fi film has earned $94.3 million in North America and $193 million worldwide after three weekends.
Despite some weak openings, Hollywood is still enjoying its strongest summer season since the COVID era. Overall summer box office revenue is now only 1.7% behind 2019 levels.
Next weekend could bring more momentum with the release of Minions & Monsters during the July 4 holiday period.
