"Superman" soars at box office, breathing new life into DC films
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Time Square billboards display posters for the new "Superman" film. Photo: Craig T Fruchtman/Getty Images
The latest "Superman" reboot is a box office smash, bringing in an impressive $122 million in its domestic debut over the weekend, according to estimates from Comscore.
Why it matters: The fate of the DC Comics franchise, and to a smaller extent Warner Bros. Pictures, is riding on the film's success.
Zoom in: The movie, which cost $225 million to produce, brought in an estimated total of $95 million internationally, bringing its worldwide total haul to $217 million in its opening weekend.
- The opening marks the biggest weekend debut ever for a solo Superman movie — one not part of a larger crossover or franchise team-up.
- "Superman" boasts the third-biggest domestic movie opening of the year, behind "A Minecraft Movie" and "Jurassic World Rebirth."
Zoom out: The movie, written and directed by former Marvel director James Gunn, is seen as a litmus test for Gunn and Peter Safran, who co-heads Warner Bros. Discovery's DC Studios.
- Gunn, the Hollywood hitmaker known for producing Marvel's hit "Guardians of the Galaxy" films, was hired by Warner Bros. to help turn around the struggling DC Comics franchise alongside Safran.
- Gunn has drawn outrage from right-leaning media, which accused him of politicizing Superman's origins in calling the film an immigrant story.
- The world's most famous superhero has long drawn parallels to immigrant and refugee stories, and was created by two men born to Jewish immigrants.
Catch up quick: "Superman" is the anchor and first film in DC Studios' bid to revitalize its banner after struggling to compete with rival Marvel at the box office.
- Announcing the slate two years ago, Gunn called the film the "true foundation of our creative vision for the DC Universe."
- After Warner Bros. Discovery was formed from the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, the new owners overhauled DC Entertainment to eventually form DC Studios.
- Gunn and Safran's slate established a more cohesive approach to DC intellectual property and franchises, similar to Marvel's approach, under the DC Universe.
- The rebrand represents a reset from the previous DC Extended Universe era, which included titles like "Man of Steel" and "Justice League."
What's next: "Superwoman" is the next film, expected in 2026, for the DC Universe under Gunn and Safran.
What to watch: The battle between rival studios heats up later this month when Marvel's "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" debuts.
