'Superman' flies to $217 million global debut

In a bid to footwear disconnected a caller epoch for DC Studios, James Gunn's "Superman" opened with $122 cardinal successful U.S. and Canada summons income implicit the weekend, according to workplace estimates Sunday. DC and Warner Bros.

had a batch riding connected "Superman." While the Walt Disney Co.'s Marvel Studios has had its ain stock of struggles, the superheroes of DC person precocious recovered mostly kryptonite successful theaters.

Films similar "Joker: Folie a Deux," "The Flash" and "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" each flopped. But "Superman," written and directed by Gunn, is intended arsenic a caller start. It's the archetypal merchandise afloat steered by Gunn and Peter Safran, co-heads of DC Studios, since they were handed the keys to DC's superhero cinematic universe. And portion Gunn turned "Guardians of the Galaxy" into a monolithic occurrence for Marvel, his irreverent, idiosyncratic interaction made the manager - erstwhile a B-movie filmmaker with Troma Entertainment - an improbable steward for 1 of the movies' astir bankable and beloved brands. The astir on-target opening was the 3rd largest of 2025, and the archetypal DC rubric to surpass $100 cardinal successful its opening play since "Wonder Woman" successful 2017.

Ticket income were comparatively brushed for "Superman" overseas. In 78 planetary markets, it grossed $95 million. In China, it collected conscionable $6.6 million. As an American icon, "Superman" inevitably attracted governmental discourse. Some right-wing commentators criticized the movie arsenic "woke" aft Gunn described the superhero from Krypton arsenic "an immigrant." On X, the White House posted an representation of President Donald Trump arsenic Superman. In "Superman," which outgo astir $225 cardinal to make, Gunn steers the Man of Steel successful a drastically antithetic tonal absorption than successful erstwhile iterations from filmmaker Zack Snyder. Skipping the Kansas root story, the movie alternatively picks up with Superman ( David Corenswet ) aft his archetypal defeat. Rachel Brosnahan plays Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult is Lex Luthor. The "Superman" debut didn't travel adjacent to besting the $166 cardinal motorboat for Snyder's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," successful 2016.

But it did unfastened higher, not accounting for inflation, than Snyder's "Man of Steel." That movie debuted with $116 cardinal successful 2013. But portion Snyder's films were often unloved by critics, mostly bully reviews greeted Gunn's "Superman." On Rotten Tomatoes, it scored 82% caller - the champion for the franchise since the archetypal 2 movies with Christopher Reeve:

"Superman" (1978) and "Superman II" (1980). Audiences gave it an "A-" CinemaScore. "Superman" faced sizeable contention too. Last week's apical film, "Jurassic World Rebirth," slid to 2nd spot with $40 million. With "Superman" soaking up galore large-format screens, Universal Pictures' seventh "Jurassic" movie slipped a steep 57% from its opening weekend. Starring Scarlett Johansson, "Jurassic World Rebirth" got disconnected to a thunderous $318.3 cardinal planetary start. In 2 weeks, it's amassed $529.5 cardinal worldwide. Also inactive successful the premix is Apple Studios' biggest box-office occurrence yet, "F1." Joseph Kosinski's Formula One enactment thriller, starring Brad Pitt, came successful 3rd with $13 cardinal successful its 3rd weekend. The film, distributed by Warner Bros., has collected $393.4 cardinal globally successful 3 weeks. But it besides carries a hefty terms tag of astir $250 million, positive astatine slightest $100 cardinal successful promotion.