This past weekend, “Superman” made a significant splash at the box office, amassing an estimated $122 million in domestic ticket sales. This remarkable performance heralds the beginning of a new chapter for DC superhero films.
The movie represents the first major release from James Gunn and Peter Safran following their appointment as co-heads of Warner Bros. Discovery’s DC Comics film and television division in late 2022. The duo is spearheading a comprehensive 10-year strategy aimed at revitalizing the studio’s franchises in both television and cinema, including fresh iterations of Superman and Batman.
According to Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, “The road to success for DC has been a circuitous one over the years. Now, under the guidance of James Gunn and Peter Safran, the remarkable opening weekend of ‘Superman’ allows DC Studios to reset its course, using this film as a catalyst for future successes within this iconic brand.”
In terms of ticket sales, “Superman” achieved the highest opening for a standalone Superman film, surpassing the $116 million earned by 2013’s “Superman: Man of Steel” during its debut weekend as per the latest Comscore analysis.
Four DC films have outperformed “Superman” in their initial three-day runs: “Batman v. Superman” launched with $166 million, “The Dark Knight Rises” earned $160 million, “The Dark Knight” brought in $158.4 million, and “The Batman” reached $134 million.
“Superman is living up to its promise as a significant hit for the summer box office, while simultaneously serving as an effective launch pad for James Gunn’s new era at DC Studios,” commented Shawn Robbins, director of analytics at Fandango and founder of Box Office Theory.
On the international front, “Superman” generated an impressive $95 million, culminating in a global opening total of approximately $217 million.
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and Finance Newso. NBCUniversal owns Fandango.
