It’s been a disappointing weekend for Warner Bros. and DC Studios, with the freshly-rebooted DC Universe’s second big screen offering Supergirl failing to take flight with audiences and grossing just $68 million worldwide across the Friday-to-Sunday period.
Directed by Craig Gillespie and starring House of the Dragon’s Milly Alcock in the title role as Kara Zor-El (along with the DCEU’s Aquaman Jason Momoa as fan favourite intergalactic bounter hunter Lobo), the $170 million-budgeted superhero adventure earned just $38 million in North America, trailing in second place to reigning champion Toy Story 5 on $73 million. For DC projects, that’s on par with the domestic opening of Todd Phillips’ R-rated bomb Joker: Folie à Deux ($37.7 million), and a fraction of James Gunn’s DC Universe-relaunching Superman, which opened with $125 million in North America last summer.
Adding a further $30 million came from international markets – including $4.1 million from the UK, $3.4 million in Mexico and $2 million in Australia – Supergirl’s $68 million global cume leaves it trailing Sony’s infamous Marvel box office flop Morbius, with the Jared Leto-led vampire flick debuting to $39 million domestically and $83.9 million worldwide. Morbius ended its run with just $167.5 million and Supergirl will do well to top that given its start, not to mention reaching the reported $300 million break-even point on the movie once is marketing costs are factored in.
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So, after a solid enough $618 million start with Superman, James Gunn and Peter Safran’s fledgling DC Universe has suffered its first flop, and the pressure will certainly now be on for DC Studios next two releases – October’s $40 million-budgeted body horror Clayface and Gunn’s Superman follow-up Man of Tomorrow – particularly given the impending Warner Bros. acquisition by Paramount Skydance. Could the shared universe be on borrowed time already? Let us know your thoughts on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
When an unexpected and ruthless adversary strikes too close to home, Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, reluctantly joins forces with an unlikely companion on an epic, interstellar journey of vengeance and justice.
Supergirl is directed by Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya) and stars Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, Matthias Schoenaerts as Krem of the Yellow Hills, Eve Ridley as Ruthye Marye Knoll, Jason Momoa as Lobo, David Krumholtz as Zor-El, Emily Beecham as Alura In-Ze, and David Corenswet as Superman.
