Superman has made waves at the box office, marking a significant win for Warner Bros.-owned DC Studios, which is helmed by director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran. This big-budget film was anticipated to dominate the domestic box office in its second weekend, and it has exceeded expectations. Thanks to strong word-of-mouth and positive reviews, it experienced a manageable decline of only 54 percent, earning $57.2 million this weekend. This brings its impressive 10-day domestic total to $235 million as of Sunday, a noteworthy feat for the struggling superhero genre.
The performance of Superman mirrors that of Marvel’s upcoming billion-dollar blockbuster, Deadpool & Wolverine, which is set to release in summer 2024. Internationally, where the franchise has often struggled due to its pro-American themes, the film garnered an additional $45.2 million, bringing its total international earnings to $171.8 million and a global total of $406.8 million. This achievement is a crucial win for DC and Warner Bros., which has now overtaken Disney to claim the top spot in domestic market share for the year so far.
Despite its success, the male-skewing superhero film faces stiff competition internationally from Universal’s Jurassic World Rebirth and Apple Original Film’s inaugural box office success, F1: The Movie. In a double victory for Warner Bros., which assisted Apple with marketing and distribution, F1 crossed the $460 million mark worldwide over the weekend, finishing with a domestic total of $153.6 million and $307.2 million overseas.
After years of Marvel’s dominance in the superhero domain, DC Studios is finally celebrating. In its second weekend alone, Superman has already outperformed the entire global earnings of Marvel’s Thunderbolts, which managed to reach $383 million earlier this year. Furthermore, it is on track to surpass Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World, which earned a modest $415 million globally.
The film features a talented cast, including David Corenswet as Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. Other notable actors include 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.
Marvel is eager to reclaim its footing with the upcoming release of Fantastic Four: First Steps on July 25, which is projected to open with a domestic box office of $100 million to $110 million. This means Superman has only a few days of uninterrupted screenings before it faces direct competition and potentially loses IMAX screens and other premium formats to Fantastic Four.
In the box office race, Jurassic World Rebirth continues to be a formidable opponent, remaining in second place domestically with an estimated $23.4 million in its third weekend, contributing to a North American total of $276.2 million. Internationally, it added $40.3 million, bringing its foreign total to $371.8 million and a global total of $647 million.
In third place, Columbia and Screen Gem’s R-rated horror reboot, I Know What You Did Last Summer, earned an estimated $13 million, aligning with modest expectations. The film launched overseas with $11.6 million, leading to a global start of $24.6 million. While original cast members Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr., Brande, and Sarah Michelle Gellar reprise their roles, the new installment also introduces newcomers like Madelyn Cline and Chase Sui Wonders.
Despite the buzz surrounding the film, critics have been less than enthusiastic, granting it a 38 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with audiences giving it a C+ CinemaScore. Meanwhile, Paramount’s Smurfs opened in fourth place with $11 million, meeting tepid expectations and receiving a 22 percent critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, though audiences rated it higher with a B+ CinemaScore.
F1: The Movie, directed by Joseph Kosinski and Jerry Bruckheimer, rounded out the top five with $9.6 million, showing a modest drop of 26 percent in its fourth weekend. It also earned $29.5 million overseas, reaching a worldwide total of $460.8 million, a surprising achievement given the historical challenges of selling Formula One films in the U.S.
Lastly, A24 and acclaimed filmmaker Ari Aster debuted their divisive Western Eddington in sixth place with $4.3 million, which fell short of expectations despite its star-studded cast, including Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal.
