Warner Bros.’ ‘Supergirl’ opens to disappointing $37.1 million domestically

“Supergirl” stumbled out of the gate at the domestic box office over the weekend, finishing with a final tally of $37.1 million — well short of the $50 million to $55 million the studio had targeted and a steep drop from early tracking that once pegged the film near $65 million.

The Warner Bros. and DC Studios release debuted to $37.1 million from 3,600 North American theaters and $62.6 million globally, according to its Monday final tally, which came in below Sunday’s initial estimate of $38 million domestically and $68 million worldwide, Variety reported. The studio had been targeting a domestic start of around $50 million to $55 million heading into the weekend. 

The film, directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, marks just the second theatrical release under DC Studios co-chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran, following last year’s “Superman.” DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran told The New York Times he remains confident in the strategy and slate that he and Mr. Gunn laid out in early 2023, despite the soft opening. “While ’Supergirl’ didn’t meet our box office expectations, it’s just one component of a broader, long-term strategy at DC Studios that we remain confident in,” Mr. Safran said. 

“Supergirl” carries a production budget of $170 million before marketing costs, according to Variety — considerably less than the $225 million spent on “Superman.” Variety reported that the movie realistically needs to make $300 million to break even at the box office, though the outlet did not attribute that figure to a specific analyst. 

By comparison, Sony’s widely derided “Morbius” managed $84 million worldwide in its own opening weekend, while the old DCEU’s last non-sequel solo superhero effort, “The Flash,” took $131 million despite mixed reviews. DC Studios’ own “Superman” debuted considerably stronger last year. 

Box office analyst Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations attributed the underperformance to weak audience awareness of the character rather than any single misstep. “This was always going to be a tough hurdle for DC and Warner Bros. because Supergirl isn’t a character that has ever created an event-level blockbuster,” Mr. Bock said. “Audience perception of ’Supergirl’ was not good. This is just a case of the film wasn’t good enough to become an event.” 

Variety, citing industry sources, reported that “Supergirl” is projected to stall at a lifetime gross of $100 million domestically and $200 million to $210 million globally and stands to lose $100 million to $120 million in its theatrical run, according to those sources’ estimates. A separate source close to the production told the outlet the losses could be somewhat lower, in the $80 million to $85 million range, assuming worldwide sales reach at least $200 million. Such projections do not account for potential streaming, home entertainment or licensing revenue, which could affect the film’s ultimate financial outcome. 

“Supergirl” was not the only new wide release to struggle. Paramount’s “Jackass: Best and Last” opened with $8.4 million from 2,855 locations, a fraction of what the franchise has historically drawn. Meanwhile, Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 5” easily held the top spot, earning $70 million in its second weekend for a $297 million domestic total and $585 million globally after 12 days in release. 

Critical reception for “Supergirl” was mixed at best. The film holds a 56% score on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences gave it a “B-” grade on CinemaScore exit polls. Initial crowds were 59% male, suggesting the film did not break out beyond the core superhero fanbase. 

DC Studios’ next theatrical release, “Clayface,” is scheduled for October with a considerably smaller budget, followed next year by the “Superman” sequel, “Man of Tomorrow.”